Airbus expands Airspace Link HBCplus catalogue with SES for agnostic cabin satcom

• More choice for airlines with SES as new Partner in the MSP catalogue (Managed Service Provider) 
• SES will bring the first multi-orbit global Ka network to the HBCplus MSP offer

APEX EXPO, Long Beach – October 25th 2022 – SES, a leader in global content connectivity solutions, has signed a Letter of Agreement (LoA) with Airbus, paving the way for the company to become the second Managed Service Provider (MSP) to join the Airspace Link HBCplus catalogue offering for airlines.

Launched at the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in June 2022, HBCplus grants airlines much needed flexibility as it decouples the bandwidth provider from the antenna and the IFE systems. The agnostic SFE antenna de-risks the airlines’ far reaching bandwidth supplier decisions and comes with Airbus support, warranties and seamless aircraft integration.

Andre Schneider, Airbus VP Cabin and Cargo Programme said: “We look forward to adding SES to our HBCplus MSP catalogue, and continue our journey of offering best-in-class aircraft technology combined with industry-leading service providers. Additionally, SES’s innovative use of GEO and MEO satellites to seamlessly offer a multi-orbit solution fits the disruptive nature of the Airspace Link open ecosystem to provide an end-to-end solution.”

Moreover, following a contract signature with Airbus, SES will bring its combined MEO and GEO network through the Airbus ecosystem for the first time.

SES along with its global partners are building a truly differentiated multi-orbit network, which is capable of providing the best IFC service in the air for both short-haul and long-haul commercial aviation markets. We look forward to concluding our partnership with Airbus and working together to bring these innovative multi-orbit global capabilities to the Airspace Link HBCplus ecosystem.

said JP Hemingway, Chief Strategy and Product Officer (CSPO) at SES.

The growing Airspace Link open ecosystem provides airlines with a multifunctional onboard aircraft platform for IoT services and Apps. HBCplus is the crucial offboard connectivity link, underscoring its nose-to-tail nature.