{"id":63448,"date":"2018-12-11T17:58:29","date_gmt":"2018-12-11T09:58:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/singapore-airlines-exec-reflects-on-ifc-developments-in-2018\/"},"modified":"2018-12-11T17:58:29","modified_gmt":"2018-12-11T09:58:29","slug":"singapore-airlines-exec-reflects-on-ifc-developments-in-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/singapore-airlines-exec-reflects-on-ifc-developments-in-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"Singapore Airlines Exec Reflects on IFC Developments in 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Singapore Airlines (SIA) is one of Asia\u2019s flagship airlines and also one of the pioneers when it comes to In-Flight Connectivity (IFC). The airline is constantly looking to improve these offerings to passengers as it looks to take its strategy to the next level. In an exclusive interview, SIA Vice President (VP) of Product Innovation Ng Yung Han told Via Satellite about the airline\u2019s plans.\u201cOur in-flight connectivity roadmap includes providing our customers with personalised product and service offerings that enhance their overall travel experience,\u201d he said. \u201cExamples are the complimentary Wi-Fi that was rolled out to our Suites, First Class, and Business Class customers and SIA\u2019s PPS Club\/Supplementary Card members in early 2018, and our in-flight Wi-Fi portal with enhanced User Experience (UX).\u201d <\/p>\n<p>He said the airline is also constantly looking to improve its service onboard by leveraging in-flight connectivity. An example is providing its crew with real-time operational data updates and conducting in-flight sales transactions more efficiently.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AIgoT7ymTr2Ozod7lv9t_VS_010119_Cover-300x225.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" style=\"width: 120px; height: auto;\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AIgoT7ymTr2Ozod7lv9t_VS_010119_Cover-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AIgoT7ymTr2Ozod7lv9t_VS_010119_Cover-800x600.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AIgoT7ymTr2Ozod7lv9t_VS_010119_Cover-640x480.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AIgoT7ymTr2Ozod7lv9t_VS_010119_Cover.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"fs-5 mt-0\">Explore the January 2019 Issue<\/h3>\n<p class=\"mb-0 fs-smaller text-balance\">Check out more from this issue and find your next story to read.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<button class=\"btn btn-primary\" type=\"button\" data-bs-toggle=\"offcanvas\" data-bs-target=\"#offcanvasMENU\" aria-controls=\"offcanvasExample\" aria-label=\"button\" style=\"white-space: nowrap;\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\tView More <i class=\"bi bi-arrow-right-circle\"><\/i><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/button><\/p>\n<p>For any airline, one of the key initial goals is to have all of its fleet connected to W-Fi. In terms of when this might happen for SIA, Ng said the airline remains on track to provide its customers with enhanced IFC on all aircraft. He said work is in progress to upgrade its Sitaonair L-band Swift Broadband (SBB) equipped aircraft with high-speed Ka-band Global Xpress connectivity. In addition, new aircraft joining the fleet will be equipped with broadband connectivity services provided by Panasonic Avionics and Sitaonair, so customers can experience high-speed in-flight Wi-Fi.<\/p>\n<p>In a recent interview with Andy Middleton, head of customer experience at EasyJet, he said no airline had \u201ccracked it\u201d in terms of finding the right business model for monetizing the passenger experience through connectivity. I asked Ng whether he agrees with this statement. \u201cA balanced approach is key in formulating the ideal commercial model for in-flight connectivity,\u201d he said. \u201cA critical element in achieving this is to work with like-minded connectivity providers who also understand what customers need and want. As connectivity elevates the customers\u2019 in-flight experience, staying connected continues to gain significant momentum. Hence, the central focus is on looking at the growing expectations of in-flight connectivity amongst customers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Given that SIA has been providing complimentary in-flight Wi-Fi to customers travelling in premium classes, as well as to its Frequent Flyer customers (PPS Club members) travelling in any cabin class, since early 2018, the company\u2019s Wi-Fi plans have stepped up a notch. \u201cRecognizing the importance of providing eligible customers with seamless access to complimentary Wi-Fi sessions on board, SIA collaborated with its two Wi-Fi service providers, Panasonic and Sitaonair, to customize and implement a fuss-free Wi-Fi redemption experience that extends the right amount of complimentary Wi-Fi to the right customer at the right time,\u201d says Ng. \u201cThrough this initiative, eligible customers simply provide their last name, seat number and email to start enjoying their complimentary Wi-Fi session, regardless of whether customers are travelling on a Panasonic or Sitaonair equipped aircraft.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><script>var AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a6b60663b2c8;googletag.cmd.push(function(){var AIMAP_29b58f13885ebf8ea6b032f958eb0748 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([992, 100], [[970, 90], [970, 250]]).addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_737ce075cc05dd766c8f8ea08f3faa73 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([1200, 100], [970, 250]).addSize([768, 100], [600, 300]).addSize([320, 100], [300, 250]).build();AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a6b60663b2c8 = googletag.defineSlot('\/987\/satellitetoday.com\/via-satellite-digital-issue-ads', [ [600, 300], [300, 250], [970, 250] ], 'div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a6b60663b2c9').defineSizeMapping(AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());   });<\/script><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a6b60663b2c9'); });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>The deal with Panasonic was announced earlier this year. As part of the deal, the two companies will aim to deliver a broadband-connected, personalized, immersive entertainment experience across the airline\u2019s entire 787-10 fleet and A350 Ultra-long-haul fleet. The deal will see Panasonic deliver connectivity and in-flight entertainment solutions that are custom-tailored to SIA\u2019s vision for an enhanced KrisWorld experience on board their B787-10 aircraft and A350-900 Ultra-long-haul aircraft. SIA will be the launch customer for both fleets.<\/p>\n<h2>Alibaba<\/h2>\n<p>While deals with the likes of Panasonic and Sitaonair are important, the airline wants to also find new ways to boost the passenger experience. One of its most eye-catching deals this year was with Alibaba, the Chinese retail giant. It is a comprehensive deal that extends to areas such as flight ticket sales, loyalty programs, marketing initiatives, cloud services payments, and logistics. Alibaba has more than 600 million monthly active mobile users on its China marketplaces. Both companies see the deal as part of a seamless convergence of online and offline retail experiences into a digital first reality. While the two companies have been working together since 2013, the latest deal this year was seen as a significant extension, and an example of SIA\u2019s innovation in the IFC space.<\/p>\n<p>The airline looks well on track to continue to be one of the leaders in this space. \u201cListening to our customers\u2019 needs and preferences and digitizing them (where applicable) continue to be important elements of our strategy, as we continue to enhance our customers\u2019 experience. Considering the range of factors that may impact a customer\u2019s in-flight connectivity experience (e.g. satellite availability and coverage, weather, concurrent users), there remains a challenge to provide customers with an equal ground-like connectivity experience. At the end of the day, it is about understanding and catering to the different needs and wants of our customers in-flight. With digitization, the need to stay connected anywhere, anytime is now more important than before and it will continue to gain significant momentum,\u201d says Ng. <strong class=\"Annotation -strong\">VS  <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>,<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"widget-title\">In This Issue<\/h2>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 406711:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/hUcpB1XgSQuhFDpzSs8L_Opinion_Bubbles_Web-300x300.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/hUcpB1XgSQuhFDpzSs8L_Opinion_Bubbles_Web-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/hUcpB1XgSQuhFDpzSs8L_Opinion_Bubbles_Web-800x800.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/hUcpB1XgSQuhFDpzSs8L_Opinion_Bubbles_Web-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/hUcpB1XgSQuhFDpzSs8L_Opinion_Bubbles_Web-640x640.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/hUcpB1XgSQuhFDpzSs8L_Opinion_Bubbles_Web.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tConnectivity Challenges the Car: A Satellite Solution?<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3 d-block d-md-none\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 406722:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"167\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Tsr7WSyfQoaieqXcraUs_EdNote_Header_Web-300x167.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Tsr7WSyfQoaieqXcraUs_EdNote_Header_Web-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Tsr7WSyfQoaieqXcraUs_EdNote_Header_Web-800x446.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Tsr7WSyfQoaieqXcraUs_EdNote_Header_Web-640x357.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Tsr7WSyfQoaieqXcraUs_EdNote_Header_Web.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tGoodbye 2018, Hello 2019<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 406716:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/nlnEVh4GS8qmeXxnAByG_Opinion_Bubbles_Web-300x300.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/nlnEVh4GS8qmeXxnAByG_Opinion_Bubbles_Web-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/nlnEVh4GS8qmeXxnAByG_Opinion_Bubbles_Web-800x800.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/nlnEVh4GS8qmeXxnAByG_Opinion_Bubbles_Web-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/nlnEVh4GS8qmeXxnAByG_Opinion_Bubbles_Web-640x640.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/nlnEVh4GS8qmeXxnAByG_Opinion_Bubbles_Web.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tIFC Monetization Needed to Stimulate Further Adoption<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3 d-block d-md-none\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 406687:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"212\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/4wY92pY8SJylqqnjjSXd_VS_010119_CrystalBall-300x212.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/4wY92pY8SJylqqnjjSXd_VS_010119_CrystalBall-300x212.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/4wY92pY8SJylqqnjjSXd_VS_010119_CrystalBall-800x566.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/4wY92pY8SJylqqnjjSXd_VS_010119_CrystalBall-640x453.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/4wY92pY8SJylqqnjjSXd_VS_010119_CrystalBall.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tSATELLITE 2029: Women in Satellite Predict the Future<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 406693:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/hwM7h32qRQ6SkBjSqNbc_ThinkstockPhotos-510874531-300x200.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/hwM7h32qRQ6SkBjSqNbc_ThinkstockPhotos-510874531-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/hwM7h32qRQ6SkBjSqNbc_ThinkstockPhotos-510874531-800x533.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/hwM7h32qRQ6SkBjSqNbc_ThinkstockPhotos-510874531-640x427.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/hwM7h32qRQ6SkBjSqNbc_ThinkstockPhotos-510874531.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tThe 10 Hottest Companies in Satellite 2018<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3 d-block d-md-none\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 406699:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/NDd2ZxHTZWQ1fIi3V39p_Young_Professionals-300x200.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/NDd2ZxHTZWQ1fIi3V39p_Young_Professionals-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/NDd2ZxHTZWQ1fIi3V39p_Young_Professionals-800x533.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/NDd2ZxHTZWQ1fIi3V39p_Young_Professionals-640x427.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/NDd2ZxHTZWQ1fIi3V39p_Young_Professionals.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tVia Satellite\u2019s 2018 Young People to Watch List<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Singapore Airlines (SIA) is one of Asia\u2019s flagship airlines and also one of the pioneers when it comes to In-Flight Connectivity (IFC). The airline is constantly looking to improve these offerings to passengers as it looks to take its strategy to the next level. In an exclusive interview, SIA Vice President (VP) of Product Innovation [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":63449,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-63448","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63448"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=63448"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63448\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/63449"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63448"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=63448"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=63448"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}