Emirates Selects HBCplus for High-Bandwidth Connectivity on New A350 Aircraft

The HBCplus satellite communication system from the firm will be installed in 50 of Emirates’ new Airbus A350 aircraft. HBCplus is a satellite communication service that enables airlines to connect to several providers and frequencies.

The Middle Eastern carrier confirmed it would be the first airline to employ Airbus’ HBCplus satcom service once its new A350-900s start arriving next year at the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) held this week. By giving airlines unmatched freedom in entertainment and provider options, Airbus’ end-to-end solution aims to upend the current quo in inflight connectivity.

According to Andre Schneider, VP of the Airbus Cabin and Cargo Programme, “We are extremely pleased to welcome Emirates as the first airline to select our agnostic and flexible HBCplus high-bandwidth connectivity solution. As the OEM, we look forward to integrating and delivering state-of-the-art aircraft technology for Emirates, together with our partners Inmarsat and Safran Passenger Innovations (SPI), to deliver a fantastic customer experience through lightning-fast internet in-flight.”

Airbus announced “Airspace Link HBCplus” as a cutting-edge satcom solution at AIX last year, working “seamlessly and flexibly with the airline’s choice of satellite network provider.” Since then, it has made some significant advancements, including adding a second Managed Service Provider (MSP) and a planned incorporation of ESA (Electronically Steered Antenna) technology for simultaneous multi-beam operations.

A satellite communication system that is agnostic provides connectivity to a variety of satellite providers or network types as opposed to being limited to a single source. This offers a number of significant advantages, such as a more stable system with fewer dropouts, expanded service areas, and provider choice freedom.

Prior to its planned extension to Ku-band services scheduled for next year, HBCplus would initially include Ka-band services, according to Airbus, which also stated that it is in “advanced discussions” with Intelsat and Panasonic. Many airlines have already expressed interest in the technology, which will be available as a Supplier Furnished Equipment (SFE) catalogue option and may either be retrofitted or line-fitted “more HBCplus airline customers are set to follow across our various aircraft families.”

Emirates anticipates the arrival of the first of its 50 A350 aircraft in August 2024, which is more than a year later than anticipated. While Thales’ AVANT Up system will provide in-flight entertainment, the airline chose Inmarsat to provide inflight WiFi on its A350 fleet via Inmarsat’s Global Xpress (GX) satellite network.

Emirates’ Chief Operating Officer, Adel Al Redha, said, “We continue to strive for improvements and make good use of the evolving technology to support our product offering. HBCplus, offered by Airbus, will provide our Airbus A350 fleet with better integration and performance using the latest generation of connectivity and antenna. With the first of our 50 new joining Emirates’ fleet next year, we look forward to providing our passengers with the latest standard of continuous high bandwidth inflight connectivity throughout their journey to enjoy a better experience.”

Emirates CEO Sir Tim Clark said the company plans to acquire up to 150 aircraft in the near future, which could include increasing its A350 order, at a meeting that Simple Flying was present for this week.