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Viasat announced its next-generation IFC system for the commercial aviation market, Amara, at the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg.
The Carlsbad, California-based company said that the new IFC system will include innovations in core satellite network design, hardware advances and a suite of digital products.
“We’ve put all our energies into putting in a lot of bandwidth at lowest cost,” Viasat SVP commercial aviation Don Buchman said.
Viasat has offered coverage from geostationary, high-elliptical and medium Earth orbit satellites. The company’s equipment is currently deployed on more than 3,000 aircraft operating around 10,000 flights a day. A new low Earth orbit (LEO) constellation being launched in the 2027-28 timeframe will add considerably to the company’s offering.
To enable Amara accessibility, Viasat also announced a proprietary electronically steered antenna (ESA) terminal—Viasat Aera—which unlocks simultaneous, dual-beam connections across satellites in GEO, HEO, and LEO, enabling IFC with a single antenna.
The new terminal is under development and is expected to be ready for commercial service in 2028, at which time upgrading to the Aera terminal is expected to be achieved in less than a day with no change to the in-cabin network and existing terminals requiring only a software update.
Although current terminals can switch between different constellations, Aera will be able to handle geostationary and LEO constellations simultaneously, Buchman said. “That’s what’s really key.”
“Viasat Amara will help our airline customers achieve their greatest ambitions—creating long-lasting competitive advantage and meaningful passenger experiences and loyalty,” Viasat Commercial Services SVP and CCO Meherwan Polad added.
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