Podcast 052: Bending Bluetooth to become an onboard network - a podcast by Runway Girl Network

First, the Teal Group is forecasting that business aircraft deliveries won’t return to 2008 peak levels until 2021. But as new deliveries have stagnated, we know that older aircraft are being refurbished with various #PaxEx upgrades. Chapman has a unique perspective on this topic since ASI Group serves the business aviation market with a variety of low-cost solutions, including a system that uses Bluetooth and Iridium to deliver voice, SMS and email. He tells co-hosts Max Flight and Mary Kirby that ASI Group has managed to “bend and twist Bluetooth” to become a network onboard, and explains why the Iridium’s next generation NEXT constellation and aero service is hotly anticipated in this market.

Next, ASI Group is also bringing a new Bluetooth-based, Iridium NEXT-powered e-commerce platform to airlines. The ffly system, which is being pitched as an alternative to wifi connectivity on board, is said to be capable of connecting every passenger with a single Bluetooth hotspot, and can be installed at little or no cost. The offering sounds almost too good to be true, but Chapman reveals on the show that it has already been whitelisted by Lufthansa Systems, and will be rolled out by other IFEC players to boot.

Last but not least, broadband connectivity is increasingly considered the cost of doing business for the world’s premier airlines. And the competition for aircraft tails has grown fierce, with several companies waging battle for supremacy. Certain industry stakeholders are now predicting consolidation, reasoning that there are simply too many players, and that some are suffering financially. Chapman shares his thoughts on the matter, and whether he forecasts a shake-out in the industry.

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