Panasonic Avionics Signs Spacesail LEO IFC MoU
Panasonic Avionics has signed a memorandum of understanding with Shanghai Spacesail Technologies to explore integrating Spacesail’s Low Earth Orbit satellite constellation into its global inflight connectivity network. The agreement was announced at the Singapore Airshow and marks another step in Panasonic’s multi-orbit connectivity strategy.
The MoU enables both companies to assess how Spacesail’s high-bandwidth, low-latency LEO network could complement Panasonic Avionics’ existing satellite partnerships. Spacesail holds a distinctive position as a global LEO constellation operator with coverage over China, a critical market for international airlines. By incorporating Spacesail’s capabilities, Panasonic aims to enhance seamless LEO connectivity across global flight paths, including routes over Chinese airspace.
Panasonic Avionics has maintained a strong presence in the Asia-Pacific inflight connectivity market for more than a decade, supported by geostationary coverage via the APSTAR-6D satellite and long-standing relationships with regional and international carriers. The addition of Spacesail would further expand Panasonic’s hybrid network architecture, which already includes collaboration with Eutelsat’s OneWeb LEO constellation.
John Wade, vice president of connectivity at Panasonic Avionics, said airlines are demanding faster speeds, lower latency and greater resilience across all phases of flight. He noted that adding Spacesail’s LEO constellation would strengthen Panasonic’s ability to deliver consistent, high-performance connectivity worldwide while providing flexibility and long-term scalability for airline customers.
The integration aligns with Panasonic’s broader technology roadmap, which includes developing a next-generation antenna and terminal ecosystem alongside an advanced onboard compute platform. This architecture is designed to combine multiple satellite networks through channel bonding, allowing aircraft to dynamically leverage capacity across different orbits and frequency bands for improved reliability and throughput.
The announcement follows Airbus signing its own MoU with Spacesail in December 2025 to explore integration with its HBCplus inflight connectivity solution. Panasonic Avionics serves as a key managed service provider within the HBCplus ecosystem, further reinforcing the strategic alignment between the companies as airlines increasingly adopt multi-orbit connectivity models.
As competition intensifies in the inflight broadband market, Panasonic’s agreement with Spacesail underscores the accelerating shift toward resilient, multi-layered satellite networks capable of delivering next-generation passenger connectivity worldwide.
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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, aircraftinteriorsinternational.com