SES, a leading space solutions company, has partnered with Viva, Mexico’s ultra low-cost airline, to introduce a fast and reliable multi-orbit satellite inflight connectivity service across the airline’s Airbus fleet.
Enhancing the Passenger Digital Experience
The new service is designed to transform the aircraft cabin into a connected space where passengers can experience the same fast and dependable internet access they enjoy at home, regardless of when or where they fly. Pablo Gómez Gallardo, Chief Digital Officer at Viva, emphasized that connectivity is no longer a luxury but an integral part of how people live, work, and travel, with the goal of making flying fit seamlessly into passengers’ digital lives.
Deploying Advanced Antenna Technology
The roll-out of this service will see the multi-orbit connectivity solution installed on a total of 100 Airbus narrowbody aircraft, specifically 60 A320s and 40 A321s, over the coming years. Currently, eleven Viva aircraft are already operating with the newly integrated hardware. This initiative marks a significant technological milestone, as Viva becomes the first airline based in Mexico to deploy SES’s new electronically steered array antenna.
Standing at less than seven centimeters tall, this low-profile hardware is explicitly designed for modern inflight connectivity, reliably linking to satellites across different orbits to provide consistent and uninterrupted broadband coverage.
Expanding Market Presence in the Americas
This collaboration significantly strengthens SES’s position as a premier provider of satellite-powered broadband services throughout the Americas. The in-flight connectivity hardware is powered by a combination of SES’s geostationary satellite network and Eutelsat’s OneWeb Low Earth Orbit satellite service, operating through SES as a distribution partner.
Mike DeMarco, SES President of Mobility, noted that partnerships with rapidly growing airlines like Viva demonstrate how carriers in the region are leading the adoption of advanced connectivity solutions. By delivering scalable and high-performance internet access, the satellite operator continues to support the growing demand for seamless digital integration in the commercial aviation sector.
