The announcement from BA is a fantastic step forward in the aerospace industry’s quest for truly connected travel in the skies. It is a prime example of how technological advancements can drive benefits for both carriers and their passengers alike: customers are provided with the seamless digitally lead travel experience that they crave, and airlines open up new revenue streams through premium offerings.
I’ll be particularly interested to see how BA monetises their new internet services. One approach that is proving to be popular is that of custom-built airline apps. These applications link up to the passenger’s individual in-flight entertainment systems, enabling them to interact with the plane via their personal device.
Once an airline app is in place, the integration possibilities are endless. Some carriers only currently allow their customers to interact with entertainment platforms, essentially using their tablet or iPhone as a second screen. But others offer a much deeper integration into the in-flight experience, via the passenger’s personal device. The apps can be used for things like ordering food and drink and calling the attention of a flight attendant. Run via a subscription-based model, they also provide opportunities for airlines to generate further revenue.
However, this project will be far from “plane-sailing”, and the infrastructure in place will have to manage huge bandwidth increases, as satellite-based services have historically proven to be extremely difficult to install.
While stepping up bandwidth is the first step, identifying the viable commercial models is the key challenge that sets the direction of the industry on these initiatives. One hope for operators is that opening up paid for offerings such as movies, TV series and other premium content, to passengers via a subscription model, would make the whole plan worth investing. However, operators cannot expect to make money without offering some basic connectivity for free so that passengers get used to it before opening their wallets.
Any discussion of Wi-Fi in the skies, will also raise significant security concerns. For airlines, access can also mean a risk of manipulation, either from the ground or within the aircraft itself. Inflight Wi-Fi, and the notion of connectivity can leave planes vulnerable to hacking. It is paramount that network and data safety are kept front of mind, as IAG embarks on this exciting and potentially transformative modernisation project.
Bhoopathi Rapolu, head of analytics EMEA, Cyient