[Satellite TODAY 02-08-10] Avanti Communications suffered a fiscal first-half loss of $688,292 due to weaker financing income ahead of the Hylas 1 launch, scheduled for the 2010 second quarter, the company announced Feb. 5.
    Hylas 1 is in the final testing before shipping to Arianespace’s launch site in French Guiana.
    Avanti said 14 percent of Hylas’s capacity has been sold ahead of launch, but added that it is confident capacity on its first satellite will sell quickly after launch.
    Despite the loss, Avanti’s revenues increased slightly to about $5.06 million, from $5.03 million in 2009.