Viasat eyes India’s In-Flight Connectivity market, steps up airline engagement

Hyderabad: Global satellite communications company Viasat is intensifying its focus on India’s in-flight connectivity (IFC) market, leveraging its global aviation experience and expanding India-based engineering capabilities while stepping up engagement with domestic airlines.

Viasat received regulatory authorisation to offer in-flight connectivity services in India in 2020 and has since been providing connectivity to business jets and strategic platforms operated by the Government of India. The company has also established dedicated ground infrastructure in the country to support aviation connectivity services.

“We have built four ground stations in India. One of them supports safety services and another is dedicated to in-flight connectivity,” said Gautam Sharma, Managing Director, Viasat India. “On in-flight connectivity, we received authorisations in 2020 and are already providing services to business jets and strategic platforms. Globally, Viasat is among the leading providers of satellite connectivity for commercial aviation and today supports more than 60 airlines worldwide.”

Viasat’s aviation connectivity solutions enable onboard internet and telephony access, along with live television, wireless in-flight entertainment and streaming services.

Sanjay Lala, Vice President – Business Development, Viasat, said the company’s aviation operations have scaled significantly over the years. “We started with just a couple of airlines and today support more than 60 airlines globally. We connect around 14,000 flights every day and deliver over 1.2 to 1.3 million hours of connectivity each month.