CJI: What are your main takeaways from the results?

Claudio D’Amico: We have been conducting our annual in-flight connectivity survey with CJI for some time now and this year’s results have marked an important turning point, as it’s the first time we have surveyed business jet travellers instead of business aviation professionals. That means we have the unique viewpoint of passengers this time, rather than the industry.

The insights are especially valuable to our industry as this audience has become more and more involved in selecting their connectivity solutions. In fact, 94% of respondents either have a final say, or state that they’re actively involved or at least somewhat involved in the process. Participants in the survey included people that travel in aircraft that are both private and corporate owned, and covering the full spectrum of sizes, including small, mid, super-mid and large jets. And they work in a broad range of different industries across the world, such as banking and finance, healthcare, retail, insurance and real estate.

We already knew from previous surveys that business aviation professionals believe in-flight connectivity has evolved from a “nice-to-have” to a “must-have”. This year’s results indicate that business jet travellers feel exactly the same, with 93% of respondents stating in-flight connectivity is either essential or very important.

CJI: Did any of the results surprise you?

D’Amico: As you would expect since the pandemic, using connectivity for video conference calls and online business apps such as Microsoft 365 and Slack has rapidly increased amongst respondents. These scored highly, alongside more basic tasks such as email, messaging and web browsing. Streaming high-definition videos was also popular, which shows it’s not always about business on a private jet flight and travellers enjoy using connectivity for a little down time too.

What I found interesting was that respondents are using in-flight connectivity for generative AI more and more, for example doing research or content creation on ChatGPT. That wouldn’t have even registered as an important use case until very recently, but it’s now the fastest growing use of connectivity on private jet flights, scoring higher than more traditional activities such as gaming and financial trading in the survey.

CJI: Viasat does a separate survey of more than 11,000 airline passengers. How do the findings of this survey compare with your business aviation survey?

D’Amico: Connectivity demands in the airline market are quite different to the business aviation market, but the results from both surveys have shown there are some similarities. For example, in-flight connectivity is now considered essential in both markets. Reliable and consistent connectivity, without drop-outs, is also considered highly important by passengers in both markets. The way connectivity is used varies, though.

In the airline market, its more leisure-focused as you might expect, with activities such as streaming, social media and online shopping being very popular. That’s in contrast to the popularity of more business-led activities, such as video conference calls and specialist apps used for work, in the business aviation market.

CJI: What do the survey results tell us about what makes an ideal connectivity experience for business jet travellers?

D’Amico: The business aviation in-flight connectivity market has changed. Customers don’t want one-dimensional services that are centred around speed. They’re looking for multi-dimensional solutions that deliver the best possible experience to passengers. That’s the message we are hearing time and time again when liaising with our partners and customers. And it’s clearly reflected in the survey results too. Coverage was ranked the most important factor, with reliability, consistency and overall quality of experience also scoring highly, alongside speed. Factors such as white-glove customer service and supportability are also critical, especially the need for dedicated contacts available 24/7 and supported by a global network of field engineers, rather than generic call centres or chatbots. It’s clear that as the breadth and depth of criteria used to assess connectivity matures, the days of speed-test decision-making are over.

CJI: Given the reported high levels of satisfaction, is there anything providers can do better?

D’Amico: The majority of respondents stated that quality of experience is the single most important factor that could improve their in-flight connectivity. This again reinforces how the business aviation market has broadened its focus to the overall experience, rather than individual factors. Although not all connectivity providers have met that shift in customer requirements, for Viasat, this is exactly the area where we have always excelled.

We’re passionate about being able to guarantee reliable, consistent, high-performance connectivity that delights customers, wherever and whenever they fly. We’re enabling them to make the most of their time onboard, whether that’s for business, entertainment or simply staying in touch with family, friends and colleagues.

The fact our Ka-band and L-band services are activated on more than 5,000 business jets worldwide would indicate we’re delivering on that promise. Plus, we work with a world-class partner ecosystem, so customers also have the benefits of flexibility and optionality. This is a key advantage, as customers can pick and choose the perfect solution to meet their unique requirements. They also have the added assurance of regular, incremental performance improvements as our additional capacity and equipment upgrades enter service.

CJI: Do business jet travellers want future improvements in connectivity?

D’Amico: Viasat has decades of valuable experience in business aviation and the survey has reinforced what we already knew about this customer base. Business jet travellers, including high-net-worth individuals and senior corporate executives, expect their connectivity experience to keep improving. And we’re known for successfully staying ahead as their needs evolve by constantly innovating and pushing the boundaries of in-flight connectivity, working side-by-side with business aviation’s leading OEMs, MROs and resellers. That’s exactly why, while others have come and gone, Viasat has always stood the test of time.

We’re committed to providing an overall service experience unlike any other in the market and will continue to invest in even more capacity and doubling down on our trademark consistency, coverage and reliability. This includes our own highly advanced new satellites, with additional ViaSat-3s and GXs set to launch, plus agreements with third-party operators to significantly boost capacity where its most needed, such as the Americas and Middle East. In addition, we’re working with partners on cutting-edge terminal technology and introducing breakthrough services that unlock the full power of our network.

Watch this space, as we’re excited to share details of other exciting developments in the pipeline, such as our multi-orbit strategy, which will further build on our market leadership. Viasat is in a unique position because we are building up from existing, proven solutions. This cannot be replicated by others and provides a welcome alternative to the over-promising and under-delivering of some providers.