Financial stress in aviation sector hits in-flight connectivity plans

Not even a single licence-holder has started the service yet due to aviation stress

Financial stress in the aviation sector is likely to delay the ambitious in-flight connectivity services in the country, it is learnt. Hughes Communication, Tatanet Services, Indo Teleports and BSNL-Inmarsat, the four companies to have got the licence earlier this year are in waiting.

These companies are yet to start the service despite getting the licence soon after the in-flight connectivity services were notified in December 2018, an official in the know said.

Currently, there’s no demand as the existing aircraft fleet requires retrofitting to enable these services and no airline can afford that expenditure at this juncture, the official pointed