Panasonic Avionics continues to boost its satellite capacity, securing access to the SKY Perfect JSAT Superbird-9 satellite. Superbird-9 will deliver high throughput services focused on traffic over and around Japan.
We are building on our long-standing partnership with Panasonic Avionics, and it is our joint commitment to elevate the in-flight experience and to deliver market-leading connectivity to passengers.
– Yutaka Moriai, Executive Officer, Group President of SKY Perfect JSAT’s Global Business Group
SKY Perfect JSAT describes Superbird-9 as offering Gigabit-class capacity, though that is a reference to the total throughput on the satellite, not performance to an individual aircraft. Still, the satellite, butilt on the Airbus OneSat framework, offers configuration flexibility in orbit. SKY Perfect JSAT can reconfigure capacity and coverage areas dynamically while on orbit, allowing the satellite to meet demands of the evolving inflight connectivity market.
Superbird-9 is expected to enter service in 2027, delayed from previously planned 2024 operations. The company signed a launch contract with SpaceX last year, aiming to launch directly to Geosynchronous transfer orbit with Starship. With both the launch delays and Starship delays it is unclear whether that contract will still be in place late in 2026 when the satellite is ready to fly.
Read more: GEO keeps growing for Panasonic Avionics
The Superbird-9 commitment follows on other GEO satellite capacity growth from Panasonic Avionics in the past year. John Wade, VP for IFC at PAC notes the growing demand for service and the company’s plans to meet that, “This significant investment with SKY Perfect JSAT is the latest example of our commitment to a standard-setting global connectivity network and our efforts to exceed the growing demand for these kinds of enhanced in-flight experiences.”
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