The discussions on the floor at Aviation Festival Asia 2026 suggest that the industry’s relationship with inflight connectivity (IFC) has fundamentally changed.
Held at the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre, the event brought together 1,500 attendees and 150 speakers across six content tracks, covering everything from AI and sustainability to digital transformation and passenger experience. As Victor Brault, Senior Advisor, Airline Accounts at SES, observed, the attendees reflect where aviation priorities sit today: “Aviation Festival attendees mainly focus on Apps and SaaS solutions that will help them grow their business. Airlines rely extensively on complex IT solutions that require connectivity and cloud infrastructure.”
The days of filing IFC under passenger entertainment or relying on the cabin crew to explain are long gone. When we spoke with Brault, who participated in a panel during the event, he could clearly see a shift in tone. “IFC is now seen as a mandatory application,” he told us. Airlines are no longer asking whether to invest in connectivity but are asking which partner can provide the most flexible, capable solution.
The Asia-Pacific region adds its own complexity. Carriers in the region, ranging from low-cost carriers to full-service flag carriers, are navigating this under very different cost pressures due to the region’s vastly different regulatory environments. According to Brault, “Airlines understand that they need to have global coverage, and this requires a personalized solution from IFC providers.” One example is SES’s Open Orbits solution, a multi-orbit IFC network built in partnership with China Satcom’s AeroSat Link, designed to deliver uninterrupted connectivity on routes to, from, and above China.
A significant portion of the panel focused on LEO constellations and the growing trend of personalization on both the airline side and the passenger experience. The rise of complimentary Wi-Fi models, which are already well-established in other regions, is now spreading throughout Asia-Pacific, raising new questions about onboard content, advertising, and monetization.
The room’s seniority was one factor that Brault found especially encouraging, particularly the discussions about changes in business models that are reaching the region. “The rise of ‘free Wi-Fi to passengers’ is now coming to Asia Pacific as well. This comes as a challenge for airlines who will need to adapt their in-cabin product and deploy a new solution if they want to monetize their onboard audience. This could lead to interesting development in the advertising and multimedia content space,” he said.
The presence and engagement of airline CEOs demonstrated the increasing strategic weight of these choices. “It’s very impressive to see many airline CEOs joining the event and providing valuable insights on the aviation industry,” he added.
The next wave of conversations will likely focus on how IFC providers can deliver not just connectivity, but the broader digital experience onboard as the region’s airlines transition from assessing connectivity to deploying and differentiating it. With LEO buildout accelerating and growing passenger expectations, Aviation Festival Asia may look very different by the time it returns in 2027.
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