SAS: first Nordic airline to launch high-speed, high-quality in-flight Wi-Fi

SAS: first Nordic airline to launch high-speed, high-quality in-flight Wi-Fi

Scandanavian Airlines Systems (SAS) has launched commercial service of its new high-speed in-flight Wi-Fi service on its short-and-medium-haul routes between Scandinavia and Europe. The new in-flight Wi-Fi system, powered by global communications company Viasat Inc., is recognised as the best product on the market. The Wi-Fi is more reliable and faster than many other solutions deployed today, meaning that when in-flight, passengers can stream their favourite movies, use social media, send images from their seat or answer emails — effortlessly.

“We have made a big investment in our in-flight Wi-Fi product to ensure our customers enjoy the best in-flight Internet experience,” said Therese Lorenius, Vice President, Product and Services, SAS. Together with our recent investments in our new A320neo aircraft, SAS is now even more competitive and able to maintain its strong position on the Scandinavian market.”

Starting today, passengers will have gate-to-gate access to the Internet for advanced streaming and other online applications.

The SAS Wi-Fi system has already been installed on 28 aircraft, and by September the airline expects to have around 40 aircraft installed with the new high-speed Wi-Fi system. SAS expects the vast majority of its fleet to be Wi-Fi-enabled by the first quarter of 2020.

Lorenius continued, “Fast and stable Wi-Fi is a service passengers ask for today. Both leisure passengers who want to watch their favorite TV show on holiday and business flyers who want to work onboard, need a high-speed and trustworthy internet service when they are online. It is not just an investment in the internet; it is an investment in an extraordinary customer experience for our passengers.”

10 times faster than traditional Wi-Fi onboard

The SAS Wi-Fi product is based on a satellite communications system supplied by Viasat — the company known for supplying high-performance, high-quality Internet services to private and public organisations, from residential customers to military and global airline partners.

“We’re proud to help SAS become the first Nordic airline to launch high-speed Internet in the skies —making the fully-connected aircraft a reality,” said Don Buchman, General Manager and Vice President, Commercial Aviation at Viasat. “Viasat’s satellite-based in-flight Internet service is the gold standard for in-flight Wi-Fi. We tap the power of our satellites to enable a service that is 10x faster than traditional in-flight Wi-Fi services.”

The SAS Wi-Fi product uses the latest antenna and Wi-Fi technology from Viasat, which connects to Viasat’s high-capacity satellite in Europe — which sits approximately 22,000 miles above the Earth — to enable fast streaming, web browsing and more — all at 35,000 feet.

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