Euroconsult predicts IFC market will double by 2031

Space consulting and market intelligence firm Euroconsult has released analysis that shows a 10% increase in the number of commercial aircraft connected to in-flight services compared to 2020, totalling 9,900 planes by the end of 2021.
According to the firm, the number of aircraft using such services is expected to double to more than 21,000 within the next decade. Prospects for In-Flight Entertainment & Connectivity report notes a strong year-on-year performance for 2021 and contrasts with previous uncertainties in the aviation industry and its supply chain, one of the most seriously affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The report shows that IFC service providers continued to equip aircraft through 2021 and in-flight connectivity showed strong signs of uptake in the year with 120 commercial carriers offering in-flight connectivity to passengers with a total bandwidth capacity consumption rising to an unprecedented 24 gigabytes per second.

The analysis anticipates a positive trend continuing up to 2031 due to a convergence of rising consumer demand and increasingly greater bandwidth availability. The drawn-out resumption of long-haul flights, Boeing 737 MAX return to service and the diversification of service providers will all contribute to increased IFC consumption for carriers, the report says, but service providers will have to contend with evolving technologies that are likely to drive down capacity pricing.
The report is available now on Euroconsult’s Digital Platform