Uncertainty over whether the recent ban on laptops and tablets in some aircraft cabins could be expanded, and the impact this might have on the in-flight entertainment and connectivity market, is provoking mixed reactions from companies attending the show.
All are united in their concern about the way in which the new restrictions are being implemented. But while some see the ban as an affirmation that seatback IFE is here to stay, others point to a limited impact on passengers accessing content through their own devices, because smartphones are unaffected.
Last month – within a day of each other – the US and UK governments suddenly announced that personal electronic devices such as laptops and tablets would have to be checked into the cargo hold on certain flights due to unspecified security concerns.
The US ban applies to flights operated by nine airlines from 10 Middle Eastern and North African airports, while the UK restrictions affect flights into the country from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.
Get all the coverage from Aircraft Interiors Expo on our dedicated landing page
Neither the US nor the UK government has ruled out the possibility that the restrictions could eventually be widened to include other airlines or airports. This is a concern for IFE and connectivity providers, whose business models rely on passengers using their own devices to access content.
In-flight connectivity provider Gogo has yet to see an impact on its business, but believes it will be up to the airlines to find workaround solutions in the event that the ban is widened.
“We’re not affected by the ban yet because none of our airline partners are affected,” says Gogo vice-president product management Blane Boynton. Pointing to affected airlines such as Qatar Airways, which has started lending laptops to its business-class passengers for use in flight, he suggests that “carriers will have to find ways to make up for” the restrictions.
Competitor Global Eagle Entertainment (GEE) is “concerned with the policy and how it’s being rolled out”, says executive vice-president aviation connectivity Joshua Marks – but he adds that the ban “reinforces the importance of seatback IFE and confirms that it will be a long-term part of the puzzle”.
However, the restrictions is that they do not apply to smartphones – which are increasingly becoming passengers' device of choice to access in-flight content.
SITAONAIR chief executive David Lavorel says that while “we are not in the position to speculate or anticipate any security decisions that may or may not be taken in future”, it is “worth noting that over 90% of passengers use their smartphones for connectivity”.
Source: Flight Daily News
