SES to equip 18 Finnair Embraer jets with multi-orbit Wi-Fi

SES has signed an agreement with Finnair to bring multi-orbit in-flight connectivity to 18 Embraer E195-E2 aircraft, with the first equipped plane due to enter service in 2027.

The aircraft will receive SES's electronically steered array (ESA) antenna during production at Embraer's factory, rather than through retrofit. That production-line installation is the commercially significant detail: line-fit deals lock a supplier into an aircraft programme for years and avoid the downtime and cost of fitting antennas into aircraft already in operation.

What network sits behind the antenna?

The system will connect to SES's multi-orbit satellite network, pairing the operator's geostationary (GEO) capacity with low-earth orbit (LEO) capacity supplied by Eutelsat through its OneWeb constellation. The GEO layer offers established coverage over fixed regions; the LEO layer brings lower latency, which matters for real-time applications such as video calls that geostationary satellites — orbiting roughly 36,000 km up — struggle to support.

Eutelsat's Vice President for Aviation and Maritime, Thierry Polycarpe, framed the pairing as evidence of market traction: "Finnair's selection is further evidence of the value OneWeb brings to inflight connectivity."

He added: "Our high-speed, low-latency network supports the real-time applications passengers increasingly expect on board and complements GEO to deliver a more resilient inflight service. We are proud to work with SES on this deployment as more airlines embrace the capabilities of Europe's only operational LEO constellation."

That last phrase is a competitive marker as much as a technical one. OneWeb is Europe's sole operational LEO constellation, and Eutelsat — currently pursuing a merger with SES — is positioning it as the regional answer to SpaceX's Starlink, which dominates airline Wi-Fi deployments in North America.

What did SES actually promise?

SES Chief Customer Officer Simon Large said: "Customer needs are at the heart of everything we do at Finnair, and connectivity is an increasingly important part of the overall travel experience. We are excited to partner with SES to bring a home-like broadband experience to our customers."

The statement promises a "home-like broadband experience" for browsing, streaming, remote work and digital services across the full journey. Neither SES nor Finnair disclosed throughput figures, per-passenger pricing, or whether the service will be free or paid — the details that determine whether passengers actually notice the difference. Eighteen aircraft is also a modest footprint for Finnair's short-haul fleet, and no options for additional aircraft were mentioned.

The 2027 entry-into-service date gives the programme a two-year-plus runway, during which competing in-flight connectivity providers will not stand still.

The deal extends a broader SES–Eutelsat relationship. The two companies recently secured $6.1 billion for clearing US satellite spectrum, and SES has won US approval to acquire Intelsat's spectrum — deals that reshape the European satellite market and give the pair combined capacity across all three orbits: GEO, LEO and medium-earth orbit.

For Finnair passengers, the first proof point arrives in 2027, when the initial E195-E2 with the SES antenna takes off; until then, the "home-like" claim remains vendor language awaiting in-cabin verification.