Viasat, Türksat, SKYFive Arabia IFC collaboration
April 16, 2026
Viasat Aviation, Türksat and SkyFive Arabia have announced plans to establish a strategic roaming collaboration aimed at advancing next-generation in-flight connectivity (IFC) solutions. This initiative is designed to support the evolving connectivity needs of airlines and aviation customers across Europe, Turkey and the Middle East-Africa, including more flexible route coverage, stronger service continuity, and a more compelling customer proposition for connected aircraft.
The roaming framework is intended to enable seamless cross-border in-flight connectivity for commercial airlines, private aviation, and other aviation customers. This includes those using SKYFive’s air-to-ground (A2G) network and Viasat’s integrated satellite and complementary ground component connectivity European Aviation Network (EAN) customers, who stand to gain access to Türksat’s network in Turkey. The three networks will use the same S-band spectrum, making roaming easier to implement.
Türksat is developing a nationwide A2G network in Türkiye to support in-flight connectivity services for commercial airlines, private aviation, and other aviation customers operating within Turkish airspace. The service offering is intended to provide low-latency, high-capacity broadband connectivity, complementing satellite-based IFC solutions and enhancing service continuity for aircraft transitioning between regional coverage zones. With Türksat joining an existing collaboration between Viasat and SkyFive, it will act as a strategic bridge between East & West, connecting ongoing investments in A2G IFC by both Viasat & SKYFive Arabia. This collaboration is intended to help create a practical basis for wider cross-network cooperation as A2G adoption expands.
The parties expect the roaming framework to contribute to a more scalable and commercially attractive model for next-generation IFC. This includes the potential to improve interoperability across adjacent coverage areas, support more efficient use of existing network infrastructure, and provide aviation customers with high-speed connectivity experience proposition aligned with evolving route structures and passenger expectations.
Shameem Hashmi, SVP, Strategy & Market Expansion, Viasat, said: “Viasat recognises the strong mutual value of collaborating on a joint roaming initiative to enable a seamless connectivity experience for our EAN airline customers operating over Türkiye and into the Middle East and Africa. We look forward to working closely with Türksat and SKYFive Arabia to extend the benefits of this collaboration and further enhance the connectivity experience for our customers.”
Selman Demirel, VP of Türksat, commented: “Türksat is committed to supporting advanced and commercially practical connectivity solutions for the aviation sector. We believe this collaboration can help create a stronger framework for cross-border service continuity and support the evolving connectivity needs of commercial airlines, private aviation operators, and other aviation customers flying between Türkiye, Middle East and Europe.”
Mohamed K. Abdelrehim, CEO of SKYFive Arabia & SCIT Group, added: “At SKYFive Arabia, we see roaming capability as an important enabler of broader adoption of air-to-ground in-flight connectivity. Our collaboration with Türksat reflects a shared ambition to support a more seamless, scalable, and commercially attractive connectivity proposition for aviation customers operating across Türkiye, Middle East and the wider European market.”
The initiative is subject to applicable contractual, technical, regulatory, and operational requirements.
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