UP F RONT
THE RIGHT CONNECTIONS
The first standard for inflight connectivity has been developed by The Seamless Air
Alliance, a team of major names in the sector, with the aim of providing secure and
simple internet access. The modular platform could bring big benefits to aviation
Passenger demands for inflight connectivity are still
ahead of the performance of systems, which puts
pressure on airlines to find a way to meet these
expectations. In response, a group of international
airlines, technology leaders and suppliers, collectively
known as the Seamless Air Alliance, has collaborated
to develop the first standard for inflight connectivity,
intended to make cabin connectivity swift, simple and
secure for passengers, and to enable airlines to take
advantage of new capacity and innovations faster and
more cost effectively than ever before.
The standard, named Seamless Release 1.0 (SR1),
is a modular platform created to enable long-term
technical flexibility for airlines, provide a secure and
easy-to-access service for passengers, and enable
seamless roaming with mobile network operators.
SR1 uses a modular structure based on open
interfaces, which enables the rapid adoption of new
technologies without requiring customisation or the
complete replacement of equipment on aircraft.
SR1 includes a set of unique, testable
requirements for airlines to use when
developing sourcing requests. The
standards are designed to save airlines
the time and money required to
develop such requirements, and to
eliminate the risk of trying to predict
how future developments will affect
their choice of systems.
The standard enables airlines and
mobile operators to easily deploy,
integrate and operate on-board
aircraftinteriorsinternational.com
028 MARCH 2020
Key aims of SR1:
• Reduce wasteful and redundant
product development, freeing-
up resources to work on new,
innovative advances (thus
avoiding re-inventing the wheel)
• Allow the sharing of investment
and reduction of risk associated
with the deployment of new
technologies, promoting
innovation through
collaboration
SEAMLESS
AIR ALLIANCE
MEMBERS INCLUDE:
Airbus, Airtel, Delta Air Lines, OneWeb,
Sprint, Virgin Atlantic, SES, SoftBank,
Boingo, Inter Informatics, Vodafone,
SITAOnAir, Safran, Adaptive, Etihad
Airways, Comtech, ST Engineering, Global
Reach, Astronics, Inmarsat, Panasonic,
Cyient, Intelsat, Collins Aerospace,
Latécoère, Nokia, GOL, Air France,
KLM, and Aeromexico.
SR1 proposes
that devices will be
able to connect to
secure hotspots
automatically and
seamlessly
• Establish and exploit network
effects, facilitating market
development and economies
of scale, increasing confidence
and allowing markets to
reach critical mass
• Help the commercial
exploitation of new innovations,
providing the basis of an
accepted framework within
which patents can be filed
networks by having a choice of different suppliers and
open interfaces from which they can source modular
parts, subsystems and software. This design means
multi-supplier IFC systems can be built quickly to
support future technology upgrades that do not
require customisations.
Mark Cheyney, IFEC development manager
at Virgin Atlantic (a member of the alliance)
explains, “Meeting increasing expectations
for connectivity in the skies is fast
becoming a driving factor in airline
preference. Virgin Atlantic and the
Seamless Air Alliance believe that
standardisation will allow airlines to be
more empowered and more in control of
their connectivity service offerings, allowing
them to meet customers’ expectations.”
DRUMCHEG/STOCK.ADOBE.COM
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