Breeze Airways selects Viasat for IFC
February 22, 2024
By Chris Forrester
Utah-based low-cost airline Breeze has chosen Viasat to supply broadband and WiFi connectivity to its fleet of aircraft. Breeze flies year-round routes throughout the US as well as seasonal routes during holiday seasons. Its current fleet comprises Airbus and Embraer aircraft and has just acquired 10 extra Airbus aircraft for delivery by the end of this year.
Breeze is promising high-speed WiFi (‘Gate to gate’) on all of its flights by the spring/early Q2.
It has three levels of flying experience: Nice, Nicer and Nicest. All passengers get free messaging from WhatsApp, iMessage and similar suppliers. Passengers in Nicer and Nicest get free WiFi. Passengers at the rear of the cabin (in ‘Nice’) must pay $8 for the complete WiFi service.
The agreement with Viasat adds Breeze to the other airlines already using Viasat for in-flight connectivity. Viasat already has agreements in place with Lufthansa (including Swiss and Austrian), United Airlines, JetBlue, Southwest and Virgin America. American Airlines tap into Viasat on their Boeing 737, Airbus 321s and Airbus 319 aircraft. Delta has access to Viasat on more than 1000 aircraft. Malaysia Airlines use Viasat on their long-haul MAX routes. Other airlines use Viasat but buy satellite access from third-party suppliers such as Panasonic Aviation.
Viasat said it is providing in-flight Wi-Fi to more than 3,500 commercial aircraft, up 17 per cent y-o-y, with over 1,400 planes now in the pipeline.