Experts Chart a Multi-Orbit Future for Inflight Connectivity at APEX TECH 2025

Originally published on APEX

Mary Kirby from Runway Girl Network, Mike Moeller from Quvia, Bill Milroy from ThinKom Solutions, Chris Insall from ST Engineering iDirect, and Kenneth McQuillan from JetBlue Airways during their panel at APEX TECH.

Industry Leaders Share Strategy Shifts, Passenger Insights, and Satellite Solutions

A pivotal capstone session at APEX TECH 2025 opened the morning of Day One with a forward-focused discussion on inflight connectivity (IFC) strategy. Held in Los Angeles on May 20, the panel examined how airlines and solution providers adapt to changing passenger expectations and a rapidly evolving satellite ecosystem.

Runway Girl Network Founder Mary Kirby moderated the panel, which featured JetBlue Manager of IFEC Operations & Implementation Kenneth McQuillan, ThinKom Solutions Chairman and CTO Bill Milroy, ST Engineering iDirect Head of Mobility Business Development Chris Insall, and Quvia Senior Vice President of Aviation Mike Moeller. Each panelist offered technical insights, operational context, and a collective push toward future-ready architectures.

Passenger Expectations Redefined by Behavior and Bandwidth

JetBlue Manager of IFEC Operations & Implementation Kenneth McQuillan opened the panel with a sharp look at usage data. He tracked the shifting upload-to-download ratio on aircraft, explaining that the 10:1 ratio from a decade ago has narrowed to 3:1, and will likely reach 1:1 within two years.

“Our current systems are not capable of sustaining that,” McQuillan warned. “People expect to do things on a plane that they do in their office or at their house, which has put a strain on everything.”

McQuillan highlighted the growing complexity of passenger activity, beyond just streaming. “Streaming is relatively easy for us; it’s the other things that are required, both the down and up, that are really constraining the network,” he noted. With video-centric apps and cloud-based productivity tools becoming standard, airlines must respond with scalable, flexible connectivity.

From SLAs to QoE: A New Standard in IFC Metrics

Quvia Senior Vice President of Aviation Mike Moeller outlined how Quality of Experience (QoE) has overtaken legacy Service Level Agreements (SLAs) as the defining measure for IFC performance. Airlines now use real-time, route-specific insights to assess inflight connectivity.

“Every minute, an airline can see what is going on in flight, and that can be graded,” Moeller explained. “Now there is a standard way to grade the passenger experience across all of the carriers, all of the services, all the types of technology.”

Moeller pointed out that airlines rely heavily on Net Promoter Scores and revenue performance from key routes. Monthly SLA averages no longer suffice. “What we are seeing now is airlines being able to dissect that data from specific routes that matter,” he noted. “Airlines then work with their service provider to say these are the SLAs I want on certain routes because these routes are driving my revenue and success as an airline.”

Hardware Optionality in a Multi-Orbit World

ThinKom Solutions Chairman and CTO Bill Milroy described how antenna design plays a pivotal role in flexibility. ThinKom’s solutions support all major satellite constellations, including Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO), and Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO).

“We are walking the talk in terms of enabling a multi-orbit solution,” Milroy emphasized.

ThinKom currently supports GEO, HEO, and MEO with its Ka2517 antenna. LEO capability, including partnerships with providers such as Telesat, will become available through a modular “plus product” concept that allows future integration. This design protects airlines from early obsolescence.

“We want to relieve the angst from airlines, that if they made a particular decision today, they can pivot to a different solution,” Milroy explained. “The worst IFC experience is when it is not working at all.”

By separating hardware from service providers, ThinKom enables airlines to maintain leverage in price negotiations. Milroy noted that a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC), linefit, or post-delivery retrofit should ideally be a one-time installation. He acknowledged, however, that this same permanence gives providers potential pricing power unless airlines retain optionality.

“A number of stakeholders including SAA members and aircraft OEMs such as Airbus and Boeing are collaborating on an Antenna Buyer’s Handbook,” Milroy shared. “Recognizing the antenna is only part of the concern,” he added, indicating the handbook development effort continues in close coordination across the industry.

Maritime Parallels, Aero Applications

ST Engineering iDirect Head of Mobility Business Development Chris Insall described shared dynamics between aviation and maritime satellite connectivity. His company provides modems and hub systems to both sectors, supporting seamless transitions across satellite networks.

“There is an array of options available for customers, and it is a great time to be a customer in any mobility sector,” Insall observed.

LEO has transformed maritime connectivity in recent years, yet GEO VSAT remains essential for global routes. “Because they need to trade in places such as Venezuela, China, India, Vietnam, where they can’t depend on having that LEO technology available all the time,” Insall noted.

He described the shift toward granular network orchestration, referencing vessel-level and fleet-level quality settings. “We are setting up very specific hierarchical systems that manage a very large granularity in terms of defining quality of experience and quality of service for any number of different configurations,” he said. “The same is the case for aero with our global band management system.”

ST Engineering iDirect’s upcoming modem and hub platforms will support complex multi-orbit transitions and real-time traffic management across technologies.

Preparing for a Flexible, Multi-Orbit Future

McQuillan returned to highlight rapid shifts in the satellite ecosystem. He referenced the stagnation in innovation until recently. “Over the past twelve years, there has not been a lot of material change in the ecosystem,” he reflected. 

“However, there have been rapid and dramatic technological changes in the past two years.”

JetBlue views Viasat’s multi-orbit strategy as a significant evolution. “That is very important for the airline industry because they have a lot of customers, and those customers are going to be looking for something beyond just a single GEO solution,” McQuillan noted.

He stressed the importance of readiness and flexibility. “By the time we implement some technology on our aircraft, it has been anywhere from eighteen months to two years, and everyone could change again,” he added. “So having that flexibility and having clients open to change and forward-looking is very important to us.”

“You need someone who will provide you with solutions for longer than just today,” McQuillan concluded. “Over the past two years, my role has been 90% looking at this new technology.”

Future-Proofing with Dual Antennas and Provider Options

Moeller echoed McQuillan’s sentiments, pointing to the increasing viability of dual antenna setups. Carriers now consider equipping aircraft with hardware that supports multiple service providers.

“If it is not available today, it is coming,” Moeller predicted.

Passenger behavior and evolving technologies will push the market toward more agile solutions. “Passengers are changing and technology is changing and that flexibility airlines are demanding, they will get,” Moeller concluded.