The Seamless Air Alliance (SAA) published an inflight connectivity standard on February 18, intended to improve internet access to passenger on airplanes.
In a statement the SAA said that the standard has been developed in collaboration with industry experts across the groups member companies. Titled Seamless Release 1.0, the SAA said it establishes the world’s only modular platform architecture for inflight connectivity.
“By using a modular structure based on open interfaces, the system enables rapid adoption of new technologies without requiring customization or the complete replacement of equipment on the aircraft or fleet,” the SAA said in a statement.
Seamless Release 1.0 is intended to enable long-term technical flexibility for airlines and provide a secure and easy-to-access service for passengers which will allow seamless roaming with mobile network operators.
“Passenger demands for inflight connectivity are still ahead of the performance of systems putting increasing pressure on airlines to find a way to meet these expectations and gain passenger loyalty,” said Jack Mandala, Seamless Air Alliance chief executive.
Seamless Release 1.0 includes a comprehensive set of unique, testable, requirements for airlines to use when developing sourcing requests. In addition to saving the airline time and money to develop these requirements, standards eliminate the risk of trying to predict how future developments will impact their choice of systems.
Mark Cheyney, IFEC development manager at Virgin Atlantic, said: “Meeting increasing expectations for connectivity in the skies is fast becoming a driving factor in airline preference. Virgin Atlantic and the Seamless Air Alliance believe that standardization will allow airlines to be more empowered and more in control of their connectivity service offerings, allowing them to meet their customers’ expectations.”
Sherif Bakir, chief executive of Vodafone Roaming Services, added: “While inflight connectivity is already available today, the experience of customers varies from one airline to another in terms of things like simplicity and data speeds. With rising consumer connectivity needs, this new standard is a promising first step towards a much improved and consistent inflight customer experience.”
