Türkiye's satellite operator, Türksat, is set to begin providing in-flight internet service to domestic carriers, starting from AJet and then also Turkish Airlines, according to a top official on Sunday.
"The high-speed internet service, which will begin on AJet aircraft this year, is planned to be made available to the Turkish Airlines (THY) fleet in 2027," said Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) on the topic, Uraloğlu explained that within the scope of the In-Flight Internet Service Project, passengers on AJet flights will be provided with high-speed internet access via Türksat's existing and next-generation communication satellites and capabilities.
He said that within the project carried out in cooperation with TCI Aircraft Interiors under the THY umbrella and AJet, testing and installation processes have been conducted for 122 passenger aircraft in AJet’s fleet, noting that tests in this area have been successfully completed.
Uraloğlu stated that infrastructure installation processes are ongoing, conveying that through this initiative, Türkiye’s domestic satellite infrastructure "will be effectively used in civil aviation, while Türksat's competitive position in mobile and aviation-based communication services beyond broadcasting will also be strengthened.”
He further noted that Türksat would ensure service quality by monitoring all internet traffic from the aircraft-satellite connection to ground stations and then to passengers’ devices 24/7 through its Network Operations Center.
“Within the scope of the project, the analysis, design, and implementation processes were successfully completed last year by Türksat using domestic and national resources," he said.
"The front-end applications used by passengers were developed by Turkish Technology, while integration and data management processes such as satellite and terrestrial traffic management, internet package definition, credit card payment collection, billing, and quota management were carried out by Türksat engineers," he explained.
He also said that with service, passengers will have uninterrupted access to messaging, video conferencing, and cloud-based business applications throughout the flight. Moreover, the minister mentioned that the locally developed "Passenger Portal" would allow users to purchase internet packages, track data usage, and receive multilingual support.
Uraloğlu also emphasized that through domestic software and satellite infrastructure, along with partnerships with other satellite operators, Türksat aims to become a key player in the field of in-flight internet services, adding that efforts are ongoing to provide such services on a global scale through collaborations with other satellite operators.
