SES landed two new customers for its multi-orbit in-flight connectivity service with Finnair and Air Astana.
Finland’s flagship airline Finnair will adopt SES’s IFC solution on 18 new Embraer E195-E2 aircraft, which will be line-fitted by Embraer with the SES electronically steered array (ESA). Eutelsat’s OneWeb network will provide Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) connectivity for the service. SES announced the deal with Finnair on Nov. 2.
The new Embraer aircraft are scheduled to join the Finnair fleet starting in the third quarter of 2027, the airline stated. This is not a deal for Finnair’s full fleet. The airline operates around 80 aircraft in total, mostly Airbus planes.
“Customer needs are at the heart of everything we do at Finnair, and connectivity is an increasingly important part of the overall travel experience,” commented Simon Large, chief customer officer, Finnair. “We are excited to partner with SES to bring a home-like broadband experience to our customers.”
Separately, Kazakhstan’s flag carrier Air Astana will also adopt SES IFC services across its Airbus A321LR fleet. SES shared that the first connected aircraft entered commercial service on October 29, and deployment across the A321LR fleet will continue throughout 2027. SES will provide a managed service to the airline.
Air Astana’s service is supported by QMobile, (formerly Jusan Mobile), a leading telecommunications and technology provider in Kazakhstan. The airline stated it is installing the hardware at its own technical facility.
Air Astana stated the service will be free to all customers during a trial period, then complimentary to business class and certain loyalty tiers, while available for purchase for other customers.
Zhaslan Madiyev, Kazakhstan deputy prime minister and minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development stated this first connected aircraft is the result of “significant work undertaken to establish the regulatory framework for introducing satellite internet connectivity on aircraft” over the past year.
