Thai Airways International has announced that it will equip 12 of its new A321LR aircraft with the HBC Plus Ka-band system, with deliveries expected in the fourth quarter of 2025. Similarly, Turkish Airlines has chosen HBC Plus to outfit 14 of its new Airbus A350 family aircraft.
The necessary equipment for this contract, including Thinkom Ka-band antennas, has been integrated and provided by Safran Passenger Innovations (SPI), a specialist in cabin and satellite hardware solutions. Both airlines selected the SES MEO + GEO Ka-band offering from the HBC Plus Managed Service Provider (MSP) catalog.
The service will be provided by SES in partnership with Neo Space Group (NSG), a global space services company and subsidiary of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF). SES Open Orbits, a network of global and regional Ka-band satellite operators, will ensure seamless in-flight connectivity.
Runway Girl Network, an aviation news service, describes the HBC Plus program as groundbreaking because it separates in-flight connectivity hardware from the service itself, allowing airlines to switch MSPs without changing equipment.
To date, Airbus has received Ka-band HBC Plus orders for four aircraft families: A320, A330, A350, and A380. In addition to Thai Airways and Turkish Airlines, other HBC Plus line-fit customers include Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Air India, Air Algerie, and Philippine Airlines. Emirates is adapting this technology for its Airbus A380s.
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