As we reported from NBAA, in-flight broadband has become a necessity for business aircraft and there’s no shortage of companies trying to meet the demand. It’s relatively new territory for the industry and the rapidly evolving nature of the technology means there are pitfalls waiting for those who don’t do their homework. To help guide manufacturers, installers and airframers in the complex decisions they face, the Aircraft Electronics Association is holding a two-day forum Jan. 13-14 on the issues facing the full range of stakeholders in the burgeoning field of onboard Wi-Fi.
The Wi-Fi Summit will be held at AEA’s headquarters in Lee’s Summit, Mo., south of Kansas City, “Wi-Fi is a growing technology in the business aircraft environment, but there seems to be confusion and conflict in the initial certification and the field installation certification of the products,” said Paula Derks, president of the AEA. “By bringing authorities and industry together to cross-educate both sides, the purpose of the Wi-Fi Summit is to standardize approaches and ensure both the industry and agencies are using the best practices when moving forward.” Representatives of regulators from the U.S., Canada and Europe will be there.
