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Sounds great. Thank you very much for the update. 32x speed increase and 1000% cost reduction both sound like very significant positive developments for whatever the business model will look like down the road.
Definitely excited to hear more in due time.
Best Wishes
Imho
Mj
Thanks for the update
Just a quick update as it’s been a while.
Following the successful passenger flights, we hope to be able to conclude an initial contract in the coming weeks. As I have mentioned, we are already in production for 20 kits which is our launch target.
While we only require the existing network to launch our free messaging and interactive advertising platform, following recent discussions with Iridium we should also be the first aviation company to fly on the new Certus network. We will equip three private jets customers and also one airliner testbed with the Certus platform next month for flight testing telemetry and live payment.
One of the key benefits of Certus, aside from a initial 32 times increases in speed is, combined with our unique algorithms it reduces our satellite data cost by up to 1000%, which opens up new opportunities that we’re previously not possible.
I hope to be back to you shortly with some very positive news.
Very Nice.
Wizz Air
@wizzair
WIZZ is committed to helping Ukrainian refugees reach their destination, wherever that may be. We are providing 100,000 free seats on short-haul flights departing from Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania in March. Book your travel at https://wizzair.com/#/rescue
imho
mj
Yes agreed! And to think that was only on one plane where service was likely not constant due to upgrades etc. This captive market could prove to be very valuable real estate for advertisers commanding a premium compared to some other ad delivery methods. Seems getting favorable terms for ASIP in commercial discussions would be very likely with the potential this holds.
According to the LinkedIn post Feb was a significant ("milestone") month? Maybe we hear about it soon? Would be great if WIZZ/ASIP were ready to drop a nice PR on us soon to kick this thing off.
Also wonder if we are getting any inquires from the ads running on Runwaygirl? In the past it sounded almost as if we wouldn't need to do much advertising as many airlines were already well aware of ASIP and just wanted to see the system fly.
And we also have these items from a few months ago...
“On other airlines, we have an agreement for a similar program with [Indonesia’s] Citilink. We are in serious discussions with a third unnamed, but it won’t be a trial,” he said.
The silence is almost deafening..lol. Excited to hear about all the irons in the fire.
Seems like substantial news is a matter when not if here...
imho
mj
10,000 texts during testing shows ease of use and passenger acceptance of the fflya system, imo.
From LinkedIn. Not sure if this is a new pg or one that has just been dormant until now?
ASiQ Pty Ltd
4 followers
1d • Edited • 1 day ago
Was HM Queen Elizabeth II the first airline passenger to text inflight?
The first passenger text message sent off a commercial airliner took place 30 years ago on the 18th of February 1992 onboard a QANTAS Boeing 747-400 (VH-OJJ). The aircraft was equipped with a VIP suite and the flight was between London and Sydney being the first leg of the Australian Royal Tour.
QANTAS were aware of ASI’s inflight PC installed on a private Boeing 737 and approached us to create an airline SATCOM version to facilitate personal communications during the tour.
The system manufactured by ASI was designated ACAMS. The Aircraft Communication and Management System provided the worlds first inflight passenger messaging service acknowledged by the WAEA (now APEX) below.
In 1992 it was called a Teletext. The text could be sent to a computer or converted to a FAX. This was 10 months prior to the evolution of SMS.
Handwritten text messages were typed into the ACAMS and sent via the new INMARSAT satellite constellation to the SiTA terrestrial airline network and delivered to the Palace. QANTAS confirmed all messages were received by the Palace and ultimately ACAMS was installed on thirty-one QANTAS B747-400 aircraft.
Following this historic tour, ASI replaced the ACAMS prototype on VH-OJJ which now holds pride of place in ASI’s museum.
That Royal flight launched ASI on a 30-year journey which resulted in another recent milestone in aviation history. The ultimate inflight free texting solution called fflya.
Last month ASI successfully concluded flight tests, of the world first “Bluetooth” inflight free texting platform on a Wizz Air A321.
The Wizz app connected via Bluetooth to a single router, which transmitted via a cabin window antenna to the Iridium Next Low Earth Orbit satellites. Over 10,000 text messages were sent, paving the way for millions to enjoy.
When I reflect on the past 30 years, I realise what’s so appealing about aviation. It will challenge you every step of the way, and just when you think you have it under control, Murphy pops up and does his best, but it has never stopped us as an industry from progressing.
Just look at the attached list of pioneering vendors. They all have two things in common, perseverance and a launch airline prepared to put their hand up.
As we continue to navigate through challenging times and strive to improve the passenger experience and enhance airline operations, we should always be grateful to those airlines prepared to back programs like fflya and ACAMS, and the brilliant engineers who despite the odds persevere.
I think a quote from Edison sums up ASI’s 30 years. “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”
Makes 10,001 so sweet.
Ron Chapman - CEO and Founder - ASI Group #airline #QANTAS #Queen #sita
Is there free WiFi on Wizz Air?
Yes, it doesn’t give full WiFi access, but it allows messaging onboard and that’s something we are currently trialling.” Wizz Air UK is trying out the Bluetooth connectivity option known as fflya, with ground testing of the service completed in June.
https://janetpanic.com/does-wizz-air-have-tv-screens/
imho
mj
Well that is good to see. Hopefully the technology is performing well and the commercial talks are progressing towards a positive conclusion. Feels like we are very close. It has been pretty quiet since we heard talks began. We know we are at least a month and a week into those discussions...maybe a bit more. Let us hope for very favorable terms and a near term launch of the service. Let's see some March Madness for the price of IPTK :)
UK lifts all testing requirements for vaccinated travelers
Vaccinated travelers can now enter Britain without taking any coronavirus tests
By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press
February 11, 2022, 5:36 AM
• 4 min read
3:46
On Location: February 25, 2022
Catch up on the developing stories making headlines.
The Associated Press
LONDON -- Vaccinated travelers can enter Britain without taking any coronavirus tests starting Friday, after the government scrapped one of the final restrictions imposed over the past two years in response to COVID-19.
British residents and visitors who have had at least two doses of an approved coronavirus vaccine now only need to fill out a passenger locator form before traveling to the U.K. Unvaccinated people still have to take tests both before and after arriving but no longer need to self-isolate until they get a negative result.
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Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the U.K. “now has one of the most free-flowing borders in the world — sending a clear message that we are open for business.”
Airlines and other travel firms hailed the change as a lifeline after two years of severely constricted travel. Andrew Flintham, managing director of travel group Tui UK, said there was “a huge pent-up demand for international travel,” and people were rushing to book getaways for the February school break and April’s Easter holiday.
Gatwick, London’s second-busiest airport, said that it plans next month to reopen the second of its two terminals, shuttered since June 2020.
British Airways chief executive Sean Doyle urged other countries to follow Britain’s “pragmatic approach.”
But some scientists worry the government is moving too fast. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative government lifted most domestic rules last month. Face masks are no longer mandatory in most indoor spaces in England, vaccine passports for gaining entry to nightclubs and large-scale events were scrapped, as was the official advice to work from home. Other parts of the U.K. — Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — have also lifted most restrictions.
Johnson announced this week that he hopes to lift the final restriction — mandatory self-isolation for people who test positive — by the end of February as part of a plan to live long-term with COVID-19. Officials have said the government plans to switch from legal restrictions to advisory measures and treat the coronavirus more like the flu as it becomes endemic in the country.
Scientists expressed surprise at Johnson’s announcement. Tim Spector, an epidemiologist at Kings College London, said it was “more a political type of statement rather than a scientific one.”
“There is some rationale to this and other countries are doing things similar, but it’s clearly a race for the government to say that ‘Britain is first, Britain is the first to come out of this, Britain has conquered omicron, our booster program is world beating etc, etc,’” he told Times Radio.
The re-opening came as statistics showed the U.K. economy grew by a bigger-than-expected 7.5% in 2021, despite an omicron-driven slowdown at the end of the year. The re-imposition of some restrictions in response to the highly transmissible variant brought a 0.2% contraction in December.
The Office for National Statistics said the growth follows a 9.4% contraction in 2020 as the pandemic shut down big chunks of the economy. The U.K. economy is now back to the size it was in February 2020, just before the new coronavirus swept the U.K.
Britain has Europe’s highest coronavirus toll after Russia, with more than 159,000 officially recorded deaths. The country has seen a drop in both new infections and COVID-19 patients admitted to hospitals since the peak of the omicron spike in early January.
Officials have credited the government’s booster jab program with preventing the surge in omicron cases from causing serious stress to U.K. hospitals. In Britain, 84.6% of people 12 and up have had two doses of a vaccine and almost two-thirds have had a third, booster shot.
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/uk-lifts-testing-requirements-vaccinated-travelers-82821135
Iridium and their satellite systems doing well
https://connectivitybusiness.com/news/ma-investments/iridium-exceeds-expectations-with-6-revenue-growth-in-q4-2021/
I must correct from last post... I actually got an alert from fflya today around 430pm that I somehow missed lol.
Imho
Agree. It’ll take some time but patience will pay off.
Been pretty quiet this month. Can almost hear the gears turning behind the scenes. I've noticed I haven't gotten many or any alerts from the fflya app in a bit. I figured the alerts were maybe coming during test flights? Maybe they are uploading the next feature? Or maybe they are now deep in talks and have flown enough test hrs for any initial roll-out?
I wonder how lead times are looking for the 20 units on order? Hopefully covid related slow downs aren't as much of an issue at this point.
2/3 of the way thru Q1. Let's see what March brings. Again it would be great to get an update into an upbeat, slowing covid outlook for Spring travel.
imho
mj
This seems bullish for travel Co's etc...Hopefully commercial talks have progressed well over the last month or so as some kind of announcement from WIZZ would certainly go along nicely with this covid policy update from the UK. Either way we are another day closer.
UK PM Boris Johnson to lift all remaining Covid restrictions in England
PUBLISHED MON, FEB 21 2022 6:53 AM ESTUPDATED 3 HOURS AGO
Sam Meredith
@SMEREDITH19
WATCH LIVE
KEY POINTS
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday is expected to announce an end to all remaining Covid legal restrictions in England.
Physicians have expressed concern over the government's "living with Covid" plan.
Speaking ahead of the announcement, Johnson said the rule change will mark a "moment of pride after one of the most difficult periods in our country's history."
??
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Tobias Hase | Picture Alliance | Getty Images
LONDON — U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday will laud the lifting of all remaining Covid restrictions in England as a "moment of pride" as he sets out the government's long-term plan for living with the virus, prompting concern among public health specialists and opposition lawmakers.
The move will see the legal requirement to self-isolate for up to 10 days after testing positive dropped a month earlier than planned. The government is also controversially expected to scale back access to free Covid tests.
It comes just one day after Britain's Queen Elizabeth tested positive for Covid. The 95-year-old monarch is experiencing mild symptoms, according to Buckingham Palace. The queen is widely believed to have had three shots of coronavirus vaccine, but only the first was formally acknowledged.
Physicians have expressed concern over the government's "living with Covid" plan, with the opposition Labour Party questioning the decision to phase out free lateral flow tests.
Speaking ahead of the announcement, Johnson said the rule change will mark a "moment of pride after one of the most difficult periods in our country's history."
"The pandemic is not over but thanks to the incredible vaccine rollout we are now one step closer towards a return to normality and finally giving people back their freedoms while continuing to protect ourselves and others," Johnson said.
The prime minister will meet with his Cabinet on Monday morning before updating lawmakers in the House of Commons. A press conference is expected to be held later in the day.
Considerable uncertainty
Downing Street says it is in a "strong position" to consider lifting remaining legal restrictions in England following its vaccination program. It added the pandemic "is not over" and the government would continue to take a cautious approach in learning to live with the virus.
More than 81% of adults have now received a booster vaccine dose in England, while cases continue to fall after the record highs caused by the highly transmissible omicron variant.
The seven-day average of new Covid cases in the U.K. had fallen to below 43,000 cases on Feb. 20, down from a peak of around 183,000 on Jan. 5.
To date, the U.K. has recorded more than 18.7 million Covid cases and 161,148 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The U.K. ranks among the countries with the highest Covid death toll worldwide.
An open letter from around 300 scientists and medics published Sunday called into question the scientific basis for the government's decision to end free testing, surveillance surveys and legal isolation of Covid cases.
The letter's signatories have requested clarity from the government's scientific advisors on the advice underpinning these decisions.
The government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies has said there is considerable uncertainty about the path the pandemic will now take in the U.K.
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/21/uk-pm-boris-johnson-to-lift-all-remaining-covid-restrictions-in-england.html
Mj
Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's technical lead on Covid-19, said on Thursday that some countries were in a better position to lift Covid measures because they have high levels of vaccination coverage and high levels of population immunity. "But, in many countries, it is ill-advised to lift everything all at once."
She added: "We just need to have countries not do this all-or-nothing approach because it is confusing and I don't blame anyone out there that is confused."
Another week closer to something :) Sounds like covid cases recently starting to slow and travel stocks starting to pick up. Would be nice to get an announcement to ride positive vibes in the sector. Talk to us Wizz :)
Have a great weekend all!
imho
mj
From Wizz Air LinkedIn...
Hopefully those talks between Asip and Aircraft manufacturers mentioned before are progressing well.
Wizz Air
Wizz Air
147,456 followers
3mo • 3 months ago
We are excited to announce our new order for up to 196 Airbus A321neo aircraft. Comprising of 75 Airbus A321neo and 27 Airbus A321XLR aircraft. The bulk of the deliveries are to be received between 2025 and 2027. Wizz Air may acquire a further 19 A321neo aircraft and Airbus has also granted Wizz Air 75 A321neo purchase rights.
Thanks to this new order, our delivery backlog now comprises of a total of up to 429 aircraft, with our average aircraft age dropping to 3.2 years by 2026. The Airbus A321neo continues to provide market leading aircraft technology putting us in an unassailable position when it comes to sustainability. This deal supports our?‘WIZZ 500’?growth strategy and ambitious sustainability commitment and the XLR aircraft will open up new horizons for the WIZZ network. We're looking forward to an incredible journey ahead!
mj
All things considered it originally looked as if Frontier would be the airline that brought Fflya to the U.S. at some point down the road. However it appears Spirit has now installed WIFI on roughly have of their fleet going by seats as of late 2021. Sounds like this may make it tougher for Fflya to get in thru Frontier now that those 2 have merged. Would have been a great way to get market share in the U.S. landing those 2 airlines together. Will have to see how all that plays out with Spirit.
Spirit Airlines WiFi hits milestone
18 OCTOBER 2021 BY SETH MILLER 1 COMMENT
Looking for WiFi on a Spirit Airlines flight? Depending on which aircraft type you’re on, the odds of fast, inexpensive connectivity on board could be surprisingly high.
Back in May 2021 the company activated what a spokesman described as “initial, limited Wi-Fi testing on a number of our A321 aircraft.” Since then, however, the company has been aggressively installing the hardware, hoping for a formal launch before the end of 2021. While timing on that transition remains unclear, the company is right around the half-way point for fleet fitting, depending on how one measures.
The full A321 fleet completed its retrofit. Passengers on the type should be guaranteed a connected plane at this point. For the A320ceo planes (Spirit just calls them A320), the work is more than 80% complete. No guarantee at that level, but the odds are highly in favor of customers finding WiFi available on board. Given the current installation pace the last dozen planes should wrap up right around Thanksgiving.
Installation on the A320neo and A319 fleets has not yet started, even as new deliveries of the A320neo ramp up (11 so far of 16 planned for this year). Presumably those will begin as the A320ceo complete, just like the A320ceo followed the A321s.
Just over 48% of Spirit Airlines' departures scheduled for Monday were on planes with the in-flight WiFi system installed
Just over 48% of Spirit Airlines’ departures scheduled for Monday were on planes with the in-flight WiFi system installed
With 81 of 168 planes installed or in process, the fleet is just under 50% of the way completed. Based on Monday’s scheduled departures 48% of the carrier’s flights should have the WiFi gear available.
But, because the carrier equipped its largest planes first, it can now offer connectivity on more than half of the available seat miles. That is an impressive milestone to reach, albeit much later than anyone involved in the deal hoped it would happen.
Scoring by Available Seat Miles (ASMs), more than half of Spirit Airlines' operations on Monday had WiFi available
Scoring by Available Seat Miles (ASMs), more than half of Spirit Airlines’ operations on Monday had WiFi available
Spirit WiFi: a long time coming
The carrier announced plans to install wifi in May 2018, with Thales Inflyt providing the integration services on HughesNet’s Jupiter Ka-band satellites. At the time it hoped to be active fleet-wide by Summer 2019.
Installations began in September 2018. A series of issues, mostly related to the antenna system, derailed the program timeline.
Read More: Operating in a partnership Spirit
The antenna issues resolved as the company shifted to the Thinkom Ka2517 solution, allowing for installations to pick up pace.
Still unclear from the company is when it will make the transition out of the limited testing phase into production service.
Almost since the initial announcement of plans to install the system Spirit suggested it would wait to have at least a full subfleet configured to reduce the risk of aircraft swaps impacting a customer who purchased WiFi in a bundle during the booking process. With two fleets nearing that point it might finally be time for the sales approach to change.
Or not. Passengers on one of the 43-strong and growing fleet of A320neos, for example, might be confused if they still get promo pricing on board because the type isn’t fully fitted while A320ceo and A321 passengers are expected to pay more.
There’s also the option where, in a move that might truly be customer-friendly, Spirit could simply keep the lower priced plans in place longer term. A guy can dream, right??
https://paxex.aero/spirit-airlines-wifi-hits-milestone/
I would not necessarily attribute the high fee on Spirit with lack of automation. Spirit churches fees for whatever it can whenever it can. They operate within the United States much like Norwegian air does on flights between the US and Europe. Everything costs extra.
You may soon be able to book a flight through WhatsApp
Ben Smithson
Sep 9, 2019
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Airlines are turning to the popular messaging app WhatsApp to connect with their customers. Some, such as KLM, Malaysia Airlines and Etihad have already introduced features through the app that would traditionally be done by on a desktop or phone. Artificial Intelligence developments mean you could use WhatsApp to book flights in the not-too-distant future as well.
How will this work, given the messaging app is designed for human-to-human communications, which airline technology has minimised the need for? At last week’s World Aviation Festival in London, aviation app developer ASI Group gave a glimpse of the future of airline travel technology.
It’s all about the increased use of chatbots, Ron Chapman, founder of ASI Group explained to TPG. Chatbots are sophisticated AI technology that allows a system, program or app to chat with a real person as if they were a real person. You might already be chatting with a chatbot when you’re communicating with an airline or hotel through their website’s online chat or through their app without even knowing it.
The logic behind the use of chatbots is that many customers would contact a company with the same questions repeatedly, such as “How do I cancel my reservation?”, or “How do I select my seat online?” Rather than having the expense of a physical person answering the same questions repeatedly, the bot can learn to recognise these questions and provide the same answer via text to the customer. Chapman describes this in the simplest terms as a “request and respond process”.
When a question becomes too unusual or complicated for the bot to recognise, it then goes through to a real person for human consideration and answer.
So how can this work specifically with WhatsApp? The chatbot automation can be used in WhatsApp just as it can — and already is — through airline apps. This can include information to book a flight like origin and destination, date(s) and number of passengers. The “request and respond process” can then collect enough information to provide a flight option. As for payment, that is likely to be performed outside of WhatsApp by providing a link in the app through to a secure payment page — either on the airline’s website or app.
Dutch Airline KLM has been using WhatsApp since 2017 to communicate with its passengers. After recently booking a flight through its desktop site, I was surprised and pleased to receive my booking confirmation via WhatsApp as well as the traditional email.
KLM also issues boarding passes through WhatsApp, meaning I do not need to download the airline’s own app. Late last year, the airline introduced Family Updates, where it will update your close contacts via WhatsApp on the status of your journey. This is particularly useful when a passenger is in the air and out of Wi-Fi or network range, so waiting friends and family know where you are and when you will arrive.
TPG contacted KLM regarding its plans for integrating flight-booking technology with chatbots, but the airline did not respond by time of publication.
Spirit Airlines, an ultra-low cost carrier in the US, just this month rolled out the functionality to book a flight through WhatsApp, though it is charging passengers a hefty $25 (£20). The high fee suggests it has not yet developed the Chatbot technology to perform this function at a low price. Instead, the WhatsApp answers are likely being written by a person, so the passenger will pay the costs that come with this.
Featured image by Katherine Fan / The Points Guy
https://thepointsguy.co.uk/news/booking-flights-through-whatsapp/
WIZZ AIR PLAYS DOWN US LICENCE APPLICATION
15 FEB 2022
BY GARY NOAKES
Wizz Air has sought to dampen speculation that it plans to launch transatlantic flights after it applied for a US license.
Wizz Air denies planning to begin passenger flights to the US
Wizz Air denies planning to begin passenger flights to the US
The budget airline has sought permission from the US Department of Transportation to operate from its headquarters in Hungary but said this was solely to begin a cargo operation.
Wizz Air has a single widebody cargo aircraft in its fleet, but it also has 47 Airbus A321XLR (extra-long range) passenger aircraft on order. These are narrow body aircraft capable of crossing the Atlantic and reaching east coast destinations.
US pilots’ unions have already objected to Wizz Air’s application because of the airline’s anti-union stance.
The airline told TTG: “Wizz Air confirms that is has filed a request for a Foreign Air Carrier Permit in the US for the A330 freighter aircraft owned by the Hungarian government and operated by the airline.
"Wizz Air currently operates one cargo aircraft and the purpose of this request is to enable any future commercial cargo operations to and from the United States."
https://www.ttgmedia.com/news/wizz-air-plays-down-us-licence-application-32810
mj
Maybe the super fast expansion is now starting to show up in the books? We know of a revenue source that could potentially help WizzAir's cause. Hopefully they tell us all about it soon. :)
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https://www.ft.com/content/e5a7ef91-9238-4723-96b7-3ac4fa62251e
Directors’ Deals: Wizz boss offloads shares as reported loss doubles
Budget carrier struggles — but continues expansion plans
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Christopher Akers and Arthur Sants, Investors’ Chronicle FEBRUARY 11 2022
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Wizz Air’s shares have fallen by 15 per cent over the past year, as the budget airline has struggled with low vaccination rates in its eastern European markets and the continuing impact of Covid-19 on the demand for travel. Despite a sense of cautious optimism emerging as the pandemic picture improves, the airline sector remains riddled with uncertainty — recent results from operators demonstrate this well.
Wizz’s latest trading update, covering the three months to December 31, is a case in point. While passenger numbers spiked by 243 per cent to almost 8mn flyers and revenue soared by 173 per cent to €408mn against the comparatives, Wizz’s reported loss more than doubled to €268mn due to steep increases in fuel costs and other operating expenses. This included €31mn of foreign exchange losses, as the euro weakened against the dollar.
Despite the headline loss, Wizz is making concrete progress with expansion plans. The company secured additional slots at London Gatwick airport in December which will enable it to increase passenger numbers in a key UK market. Over 100 new routes have been announced this financial year, and by summer 2022 Wizz hopes to have 170 aircraft in action across its network — 20 more than at December 31.
Shortly after the trading update was released, chief executive József Váradi offloaded £4mn worth of Wizz shares. Vaxco Holdings Limited, an entity closely associated with Váradi, sold the shares on January 31.
Wizz’ management expects the results for the fourth quarter, the first three months of 2022, to be hit by the “ongoing travel uncertainty” caused by the Omicron variant and a higher operating loss is forecast. The company’s relatively low-cost base, however, puts it in a strong position for the sector’s rebound.
https://www.ft.com/content/e5a7ef91-9238-4723-96b7-3ac4fa62251e
imho
mj
Yes all very good stuff. I like that we have very real co, with info/potential like this floating out in the interwebs. Still remains to be seen how it all plays out. But certainly the potential is there. Not often we come across something like this on the OTC. I've said it from my first buy here...a few yrs from now I wouldn't be surprised if this ticker is trading on a big board should they choose to up list it. Profitability in this space is basically unheard of. It seems like ASIP is set up for profitability very early in their life cycle once revs start to ramp.
Keep the good info posts circulating. These are great for any new comers that may stumble in here.
imho
mj
We're at the beginning with Iptk. The company highlites this:
"I can advise that the flight trials went as planned, and we are still flying the system while commercial discussion are in progress. We will continue to add new capability which I hope to expand on in the coming weeks. P.s one passenger set a new record. 23 texts in less than 2 minutes."
Which shows the passenger potential and certainly the ease of use of text messaging with fflya. But I keep coming back to this:
Hyping the passenger benefits of the fflya solution likely misses the key value proposition for an airline. The potential operational and back-office benefits could prove dramatic, even on a very, very lightweight connection link. Payment processing is an important low-hanging fruit to secure. And it is easily addressed over the small connection. For a carrier with a significant in-flight sales operation, reducing the fraud and increasing the average transaction size likely covers the cost of the implementation.
https://paxex.aero/wizzair-inflight-connectivity-wifi-fflya-bluetooth/
It may not be just passengers asking for fflya. One airline that proves the money saving potential I see in fflya will have most of them knocking at the door. Especially since installation can be done without FAA certification, and during regular maintenance. Even overnight in some cases.
Great post...ton of info in here. Beneficial to those looking in maybe for a first time or as re-read for those who may have consumed this info but may have forgotten some of it along the way.
great post.
https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=139021633
imho
mj
Here's a post of mine with a lot of info, from a few years ago, including this on security
Military interested because of the security
"The security is quite unique not only for the way it switches channels, but is a closed network and when combined with encryption and proprietary protocols is more secure than open Wi-Fi as there is no external way to access it."
https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=139021633
Yes agreed. Any airline could benefit. But I think for the time being they will focus on the low cost carriers because any airline that has WIFI will likely do everything they can to make that work and recoup their costs etc and they probably wouldn't want to step on the toes of their wifi partners in any way. It may take their wifi program to really be hurting before they would bring in Fflya to help right things. However I understand what you are saying. It may be more likely though that lcc's that take on Fflya start to see a nice flow of ancillary revs and then upgrade the system to the higher bandwidth offering. I'm pretty sure I remember reading that that is now an option for them with Certus.
Anxious to see this ball really start rolling. Hopefully the t's and i's are being crossed and dotted as we speak? Never know what tomorrow brings.
imho
mj
Any airline can benefit from IPTK's fflya system. Even if they already have wifi. Airlines are increasingly dependent on ancillary revenue, including in flight credit card purchases. Expensive wifi must be used now but with the fflya system credit card processing can be done using short burst data over bluetooth. There's no need for a pos terminal to be online, and there have been multiple articles over the years concerning how insecure inflight wifi connections can be. The fflya system is not "online." Transmissions are only made in short bursts and over different frequencies. Very secure.
June 11, 2021
Question: I’m throwing my laptop, tablet, and smartphone into my “personal item” and getting set for some summer travel. I’m ready to relax, but should I be concerned about connecting to airplane Wi-Fi when I fly?
Answer: Relaxation is a good idea, but don’t be too quick to relax about your Wi-Fi connection in flight. Inflight Wi-Fi is far from secure — and cybercriminals can target Wi-Fi networks used by travelers. In fact, they count on tourists getting into "vacation mode" and letting down their guard.
Why is unprotected in-flight Wi-Fi a bad idea? Here are two reasons.
One, hackers could access your connection while on public Wi-Fi and steal the private information you transmit, from bank account numbers to email messages and social media passwords. This might enable them to steal your money or take over your accounts.
Two, you could pick up a virus or malware that could infect your device and cause headaches for you long after you've landed.
It’s a good idea to avoid airplane internet if you can. It can be expensive, and the connection is often spotty at best. If you do connect, don't make any sensitive transactions, such as checking your bank balance or logging into your email.
https://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-wifi-is-it-safe-to-connect-to-airplane-wifi.html
“I hacked your email on the plane and read everything you sent and received. I did it to most people on the flight.” He had verbatim detail of a long email that he repeated back to me essentially word for word. In fact, as Steve Nolan, Gogo’s vice president of communications, told me, the service is “public” and “operates in the same ways as most open Wi-Fi hotspots on the ground.” He cautioned against “accessing sensitive materials while in flight.”
https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/2016/02/24/got-hacked-my-mac-while-writing-story/80844720/
Well that's good to hear. Hopefully this seller gets exhausted soon. I'm torn between wanting the stock to go up and wanting to get more shares on the bid below .10 lol. Either way still not many shares out there to be had. This tech could be very beneficial to the majority of lcc's. Commercial talks with Wizz/media partner are underway and hopefully progressing well so they can get this thing in the sky sooner rather than later. I would really like to see a bit of the focus shift to Frontier. Getting Frontier/Spirit would be a huge get here in the U.S. And with Spirit testing WIFI...ASIP may need to try and make that move sooner rather than later? And as for Europe once Ryanair and Easyjest see WIZZ passengers texting up a storm there likely won't be a need for much marketing to get the attention of those 2 airlines. With the advertising on Runwaygirl it leads me to believe we are very close to commercial operations with Wizz. It feels ready. Hopefully Asip gets favorable terms in the agreements.
Not sure of the revenue potential just yet. But we should have a very good shot at profitability very early on due to the low cost structure. Gogo sold for $400M and never turned a profit. Profitability in this space would likely get some serious attention I would think.
https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/1/21410368/gogo-sells-inflight-internet-business-intelsat-bankrupt
imho
mj
Didn't affect Iridium Next as far as I can tell
Hopefully we are good on this one...
https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-satellites-lost-geomagnetic-storm
I understand them selling but it would be nice for them to wait on some volume, good news that will attract new investors. Otherwise expect price to drop significantly with those 100k ask orders since no buyers are out there.
Well this is certainly interesting. Being that Frontier was an Indigo Partners Airline Chaired by Bill Franke...also Chairman of Wizz Air. It seemed reasonable that Fflya might have a more than fair shot of debuting in the U.S. Market via Frontier at some point in the future. Now it Appears they have acquired Spirit Airlines which has been testing WIFI of some sort for a while now..(but I think struggling with it to some degree if I remember correctly?). Depending on how all of this shakes out...this is potentially either really hUGE good news for ASIP in that they just got a much bigger possible foot print in the U.S. or bad in that Spirit has this WIFI deal going. Will definitely be following the details coming out of this one.
I would love to see Fflya on all Frontier/Spirit flights here.. :) I'm leaning towards this being more positive than negative for ASIP as its being reported as Frontier is making the acquisition.
I know the focus for Fflya is Europe for now...but this is potentially a monster opportunity that just presented itself.
https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2022-02-07/frontier-airlines-buying-spirit-low-cost-carrier-deal
imho
mj
Thanks for the updates, best wishes
Just a comment of selling. I am sure you can understand that some of our shareholders have been invested for over 10 years in this project and the last 2 years have been pretty challenging financially for us all. So I would expect some may need to cash in regardless of our status. With less than 5% of the stock available in the market, this would be the exception, not the rule.
Finally on app downloads, our Apple downloads are double Android. This is to be expected, as 55% of Wizz passengers are millennials, which is our target market.
I can advised that the flight trials went as planned, and we are still flying the system while commercial discussion are in progress. We will continue to add new capability which I hope to expand on in the coming weeks. P.s one passenger set a new record. 23 texts in less than 2 minutes.
Thank you for the info. Always appreciate it anytime you can swing thru and share some insight on things.
Best Wishes,
Mj
Just some comments on Aegean as they approached me back in 2019. They are star alliance and all star alliance provide live internet. They did not fit our profile so could not see us doing anything with them.
Live as you know requires a considerable outlay, so I thought the following excerpt from the Runwaygirl article on Aegean sums up the cash flow dilemma.
“so it’s very curious as to precisely why it’s taking more than three years to outfit some three dozen aircraft.”
All new live installs usually offer a period of free, but at the end of the day other than JetBlue and Emirates (who give you 20mb per pax which reportedly cost then 20 million per annum), they trial and withdraw it and stick to charging to recoup the investment. EAN was launched by British Airways and is no longer free.
Yes I would think so. I can't see taking all these yrs to develop this and then put out an advertisement to attract airlines only to tell them it will be a while until we get to you..lol. I think they are very close to ready. Meaning we get something from Wizz sooner rather than later. A joint PR put out by Wizz could really get the attention of some deeper pockets that invest in the airline space. Would be very interesting to see how this trades with some volume on it.
imho
mj
Hope you're right. The financing from friendly investors has allowed the build out of both the ground system and the parts needed to outfit aircraft. The IPTK ad on runwaygirlnetwork means they're all set to deliver the fflya system on a wider basis.
Haha yea i get it...I have a bit of of a feeling we have witnessed the last of the .10-.11 shares. Today was possibly the seller that had the 110k block at .22 or .23 a while back or just someone needing money or wanting to chase another ticker? Potentially game changing news could be pretty close now. Also Fflya now over 500 DL's!! And that update Ron mentioned seems to have happened also. Its funny when I click on the app store thru my phone it shows the last update as DEC 19th. THis pg shows it as Jan 31st.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.asiq.fflya&hl=en_US&gl=US
imho
mj
I kind of hope you get another chance, kind of hope you don't, lol
yeah wish it was mine. lol
imho
mj
The last of the .11s went in a single $5,200 buy
getting the attention of someone or some group probably. lol
imho
mj
?? that was awesome.
Thank you for the extensive DD and your opinion we will take all that into consideration upon evaluating this one.
Best of luck in your trades.
imho
mj
I was going to look into moving some money around after doing the snow..lol that was quick..didn't get a chance...was hoping a few would still be there.
imho
mj
I added some IPTK at .11
anything is possible
fflya opens the inflight imagination of airline passengers by delivering products and services, plus exciting tours and attraction offers relative to where they are flying. fflya also reconnects passengers with family and friends through free messaging.
Only ASIP Tech has the unique fflya network that can deliver this exclusive inflight service.
It is made possible by the integration of the latest generation App technology, Bluetooth, and Low Earth Orbit Iridium Next satellites.
Combine this with fflya’s world first window antennae and no longer do you need to install complex, heavy, fuel burning antennas on the roof of your aircraft.
LEO’s are only 600 kilometers up and the existing 66 satellites provide global coverage. Each aircraft only require 2 unobtrusive window antennas. One on either side of the aircraft and everyone is connected.
LEO’s also mean a much smaller, lighter system which is simpler to install and that translates into a fully self funding program that we guarantee will generate revenue for your airline from day one.
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