SkyFive Arabia: Bringing Ground-Based Aviation Connectivity to the Middle East

How air-to-ground technology is transforming inflight connectivity across Saudi Arabia and beyond

While much of the aviation industry focuses on satellite-based connectivity solutions, SkyFive Arabia is taking a fundamentally different approach to bringing broadband internet to aircraft across the Middle East and Africa. Through its innovative Air-to-Ground (A2G) technology, the company is building terrestrial networks that promise low latency, high capacity, and a unique economic model for regional aviation.

The Technology: Connectivity From Below, Not Above

Unlike traditional satellite systems that connect aircraft from space—whether from geostationary orbit at 35,786 km or low Earth orbit constellations—SkyFive Arabia’s approach connects aircraft from approximately 10 kilometers below, through a network of ground-based towers that create what the company calls a “high-performance grid in the sky.”

This terrestrial approach leverages proven cellular technology (4G/5G infrastructure) to deliver what SkyFive positions as true broadband connectivity with several distinct advantages:

Low Latency: Ground-based transmission eliminates the inherent delays of satellite communications, particularly the 600-800ms round-trip times associated with GEO systems.

Dedicated Aviation Bandwidth: Unlike satellite services that often share capacity across multiple sectors (maritime, government, residential), SkyFive Arabia’s network is exclusively dedicated to aviation, with no competition from ground-based users.

Lightweight Installation: A2G terminals are significantly smaller, lighter, and less power-hungry than satellite systems, with installations taking less than 8 hours per aircraft.

Guaranteed Capacity: The company commits to delivering 108 Mbps per aircraft—a specific performance guarantee rarely offered in “best effort” satellite services.

The European Proven Model

SkyFive Arabia isn’t starting from scratch. The technology has already been deployed successfully across Europe through the European Aviation Network (EAN)—a hybrid S-band satellite and air-to-ground network operated by Viasat (formerly Inmarsat) and Deutsche Telekom across 41 countries.

SkyFive AG, the German parent company, acquired Nokia’s air-to-ground assets in 2019 after Nokia served as the key technology partner on the EAN. The system currently provides connectivity to hundreds of commercial aircraft flying European routes, with Lufthansa Group recently committing to equip 150 narrowbody aircraft with EAN-powered connectivity.

This proven European track record provides credibility for the Middle Eastern expansion—airlines aren’t adopting experimental technology, but rather a mature system with years of operational data.

The Saudi Arabian Network

SkyFive Arabia represents a partnership between Germany’s SkyFive AG and Saudi Arabia’s SCIT Group (Space Communications for Information Technology), a technology investment house founded in 2022 by experienced investors dedicated to transforming aviation through advanced communications.

In February 2025, SCIT entered a groundbreaking partnership with Saudi Arabia’s telecom regulator, the Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST), committing $100 million over three years to revolutionize A2G communications in the Kingdom and beyond.

The deployment strategy is methodical and ambitious:

Phase 1 – Domestic Corridors: The initial A2G network was deployed between Riyadh and Jeddah, representing the busiest air route in Saudi Arabia and ranking among the top 10 air routes worldwide.

Phase 2 – National Coverage: Expansion across the Kingdom to provide comprehensive coverage for domestic aviation.

Phase 3 – Regional Expansion: Extension into neighboring countries to create contiguous coverage across the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa.

The technology partner for network deployment is stc Group (Saudi Telecom Company), which won a 15-year license for the 2100 MHz spectrum band critical to A2G operations.

Airline Partnerships and Deployments

SkyFive Arabia has secured significant commercial commitments from regional carriers:

Flynas: In March 2024, the low-cost carrier signed an MoU to equip 120 aircraft with A2G connectivity, with service expected to debut on domestic routes in Q4 2024 and progressively expand across the fleet.

SAUDIA: The national carrier conducted successful test flights with A2G equipment, demonstrating the system’s capabilities to passengers and validating the technology for commercial deployment.

Egyptian Airlines: Through a partnership with AITA (Air Internet and Technology Aviation), SkyFive Arabia announced plans to bring A2G connectivity to Egyptian carriers, with the first commercial A2G-equipped aircraft scheduled to launch on the Egypt-Saudi Arabia route by end of 2025. The Egyptian network is projected to serve over 25 million passengers annually.

The Roaming Game-Changer

Perhaps the most strategically significant development is the roaming agreement between Viasat and SkyFive, announced in October 2024. This partnership enables aircraft equipped with EAN hardware in Europe to seamlessly roam onto SkyFive’s A2G networks in Saudi Arabia and beyond—and vice versa.

For airlines operating between Europe and the Middle East—representing over 500,000 flights annually—this means continuous inflight connectivity coverage across both regions without hardware changes. The roaming capability is expected to activate during 2025.

This effectively creates a contiguous A2G coverage zone spanning from the Atlantic to the Arabian Peninsula, making A2G a genuinely viable option for carriers operating these routes rather than a regional-only solution.

Business Model Innovation

SkyFive Arabia offers airlines flexibility in how they deploy and monetize connectivity:

Direct-to-Passenger Model: SkyFive can provide the inflight Wi-Fi service directly to passengers, with the airline receiving revenue share.

B2B Model: Airlines can purchase wholesale connectivity and brand/sell the service themselves, maintaining direct customer relationships and pricing control.

This optionality is particularly attractive to low-cost carriers and regional airlines that may lack the infrastructure or expertise to manage connectivity services internally but want the revenue opportunity.

Expansion Beyond Commercial Aviation

While commercial airlines represent the primary market, SkyFive Arabia is positioning itself across multiple aviation segments:

Business Aviation: A strategic partnership with Dubai-based Jetex, a leading FBO operator, targets the private and business jet market across the Middle East.

Helicopters: The lightweight terminals make A2G particularly suitable for rotorcraft operations.

Future Air Mobility: SkyFive is positioning A2G as the connectivity solution for the emerging eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) market, where weight and power consumption are critical constraints.

Manufacturing and Certification Acceleration

To support rapid global expansion, SkyFive has partnered with Lufthansa Technik under a framework contract whereby the MRO giant will design, certify, and manufacture installation kits for the A2G solution. This partnership provides airlines with streamlined certification pathways and optionally turnkey installation services across Lufthansa Technik’s global base network.

The A2G Value Proposition

SkyFive Arabia’s pitch to airlines centers on several key differentiators:

Consistent Performance: With aviation-dedicated bandwidth and no ground-user contention, the company promises predictable performance underpinned by service level agreements—a rarity in “best effort” connectivity markets.

Operational Benefits: Beyond passenger entertainment, the low-latency, high-bandwidth connection enables real-time operational applications, including live aircraft data transfer, inflight retail transactions, and efficiency improvements.

Economic Viability: By leveraging existing cellular infrastructure and avoiding the capital costs of satellite ground stations, A2G offers a different economic model that could be particularly attractive to cost-conscious carriers.

Environmental Impact: Lighter equipment means reduced fuel consumption and lower emissions—increasingly important as airlines face pressure to reduce their carbon footprint.

Challenges and Limitations

Air-to-ground technology is not without constraints:

Geographic Coverage: A2G only works over land where ground infrastructure can be deployed. It cannot provide connectivity over oceans or remote areas, making it unsuitable for long-haul international flights unless combined with satellite systems.

Spectrum Availability: A2G systems require cellular spectrum licenses, which may not be available or affordable in all markets.

Market Education: Airlines and passengers familiar with satellite-based systems may need convincing that ground-based technology can deliver competitive performance.

The Competitive Landscape

SkyFive Arabia enters a Middle Eastern market where satellite providers—particularly Starlink, Inmarsat/Viasat, and traditional Ku-band systems—already have established presence. The company’s bet is that for regional routes over land, A2G’s latency advantages, guaranteed capacity, and economic model will prove compelling.

The roaming agreement with Viasat’s EAN network is particularly strategic, as it positions A2G not as a competitor to satellite but as a complementary technology in a multi-orbit, hybrid connectivity world.

Looking Ahead

With $100 million in committed investment, partnerships with major regional carriers, manufacturing agreements with Lufthansa Technik, and proven technology already operating in Europe, SkyFive Arabia appears well-positioned to establish itself as a significant player in Middle Eastern aviation connectivity.

The success of the Saudi Arabian deployment will likely determine the pace of expansion into neighboring markets—UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Egypt, and eventually the broader African continent.

For airlines operating dense regional networks over land, particularly low-cost carriers focused on short-to-medium haul routes, SkyFive Arabia’s proposition of guaranteed performance, lightweight equipment, and aviation-dedicated bandwidth represents a genuine alternative to the satellite-dominated connectivity landscape.

Whether ground-based A2G can capture meaningful market share from satellite systems—or more likely, coexist as part of hybrid multi-technology solutions—will be one of the more interesting competitive dynamics to watch in aviation connectivity over the coming years.

The message is clear: connectivity doesn’t always have to come from space. Sometimes, the best path to the sky runs through the ground.