According to SpaceNews, SES is leasing the entire Ku-band capacity on SKY Perfect JSAT’s Superbird-C2 satellite to handle soaring inflight connectivity demand across Asia. The aging geostationary satellite was launched back in August 2008 and will be moved from 144 degrees East to another undisclosed orbital slot over Japan for services starting this winter. This comes just months after SES absorbed Intelsat’s fleet in July, giving them around 90 satellites in geostationary orbit – roughly a third more than rivals Eutelsat, Viasat and Telesat combined. SES currently leases capacity from three other SKY Perfect JSAT satellites and expects two to three years of service from Superbird-C2 as it nears end of life. Adam Troy, SES’s vice president of satellite-related services, said the aviation market continues to see demand surge due to increased passenger uptake and wider deployment of wifi and streaming.
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The Asian Capacity Crunch
Here’s the thing that really stands out: SES just completed the Intelsat acquisition in July, massively expanding their fleet, and they’re still scrambling for capacity. That tells you something about how explosive demand has become in Asian aviation markets. Basically, even with around 90 GEO satellites under their belt – which is an absolutely massive fleet compared to competitors – they’re still hitting capacity limits. The fact that they’re turning to a satellite that launched in 2008 and is nearing end of life shows how desperate the situation is becoming. It’s like renting a 15-year-old car because all the new models are sold out.
Partnership Over Competition
What’s really interesting here is how this reflects changing dynamics in the satellite industry. Instead of cutthroat competition, we’re seeing more of these strategic partnerships between operators. SKY Perfect JSAT’s Tsutomu Kimura mentioned they’ve been working with SES for over 20 years, and this particular collaboration on inflight internet dates back to 2016 with the JCSAT-5A satellite. So it’s not just a one-off deal – it’s part of a long-term relationship. In a capital-intensive industry like satellites, sometimes it makes more sense to share resources than to try to build everything yourself. Especially when you’re facing sudden demand spikes that your own infrastructure can’t immediately handle.
What This Means for Airlines and Passengers
For airlines operating in Asia, this is both good and potentially concerning news. The good part? Someone’s working to ensure there’s enough bandwidth to meet growing passenger expectations. But here’s the question: will this leased capacity from an aging satellite deliver the same quality and reliability that airlines are promising their customers? And what happens in two to three years when Superbird-C2 reaches end of life? SES is basically buying time while they figure out more permanent solutions. The pressure is really on for multi-orbit operators to deliver consistent, high-quality connectivity as streaming becomes the norm rather than a luxury on flights. This capacity crunch could eventually translate into higher costs for airlines – and potentially for passengers too.
