Viasat, Türksat and SKYFive Arabia announce planned Collaboration to offer Seamless Roaming Services to Advance In-Flight Connectivity across Türkiye, Europe and Middle[...]

Representatives from Viasat Aviation, Türksat and SkyFive Arabia at this week's Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg.

Hamburg- Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX), April 14, 2026: Viasat Aviation, Türksat and SkyFive Arabia announced their 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, Türkiye, 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 Türkiye. 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 and West, connecting ongoing investments in IFC by both Viasat and SKYFive Arabia. This collaboration is intended to help create a practical basis for wider cross-network cooperation as IFC adoption expands.

Türkiye air travel is a major, high-volume market with tens of millions of passengers annually, supported by strong tourism demand, business travel and hub connectivity via Istanbul. Istanbul Airport is one of Europe's busiest hubs, linking Europe to Türkiye and onward destinations.

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 recognizes 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 TURKSAT, said:

"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, said:

"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.

About Viasat
Viasat is a global communications company that believes everyone and everything in the world can be connected. With offices in 24 countries around the world, our mission shapes how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the world communicate and connect. Viasat is developing the ultimate global communications network to power high-quality, reliable, secure, affordable, fast connections to positively impact people's lives anywhere they are-on the ground, in the air or at sea, while building a sustainable future in space. In May 2023, Viasat completed its acquisition of Inmarsat, combining the teams, technologies and resources of the two companies to create a new global communications partner. Learn more at www.viasat.com, the Viasat News Room or follow us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, and YouTube.

About Türksat

Turksat is a leading satellite operator and integrated communications service provider, delivering a broad portfolio of satellite, broadcasting, and digital infrastructure services. With its expanding satellite fleet and advanced ground infrastructure, Turksat supports connectivity solutions across a wide geographic footprint.

Leveraging its expertise in satellite communications, broadband services, and digital platforms, Turksat plays a strategic role in enabling secure, reliable, and high-performance connectivity for public and commercial sectors, while contributing to the development of next-generation communication technologies.

Learn more at https://www.turksat.com.tr/en or follow Turksat on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

About SKYFive Arabia

SkyFive Arabia, a subsidiary of SCIT Group and a joint venture between SCIT and SkyFive AG, is a Saudi-headquartered provider of Air-to-Ground (A2G) inflight connectivity solutions. The company delivers high-speed, low-latency internet services to the aviation sector, leveraging advanced A2G technology combined with hybrid satellite integration to enhance passenger connectivity experiences and support the evolution of next-generation aviation networks across the region.

For more details, please visit: skyfive-arabia.world

About SCIT Group

SCIT Group (Space Communications for Information Technology) is a Saudi-based investment group focused on advancing next-generation connectivity technologies across the aviation and telecommunications sectors. The company plays a strategic role in enabling digital transformation through investments in innovative infrastructure, partnerships, and emerging communication solutions across the Middle East and beyond.

For more details, please visit: https://www.scitg.com