In-Flight Entertainment System Market Size, Share, Growth Analysis, By Type(IFE Hardware, IFE Connectivity, IFE Content), By Aircraft(Wide-Body Aircraft, Narrow-Body Aircraft, Business Jet Aircraft), By Connectivity(Satellite Connectivity, Air-to-ground Connectivity), By Class(First Class, Business Class, Premium Economy, and Economy), By Region - Industry Forecast 2024-2031

In-Flight Entertainment System Market size was valued at USD 5.5 billion in 2019 and is poised to grow from USD 5.96 billion in 2023 to USD 12.29 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 8.4% in the forecast period (2024-2031).

The In-Flight Entertainment System Market is highly competitive, with the existence of numerous major firms operating in both domestic and international markets. The industry's top players are embracing strategic collaboration initiatives to improve market share and profitability. Some of the major players in the market are Anuvu Operations LLC, Collins Aerospace, Gogo LLC, and Eagle Entertainment Inc. among others who are driving the market. 'Panasonic Avionics Corporation', 'Thales Group', 'Gogo LLC', 'Rockwell Collins Inc.', 'Honeywell International Inc.', 'Eagle Entertainment Inc.', 'Lufthansa Systems GmbH & Co. KG', 'Zodiac Aerospace SA', 'Viasat Inc.', 'Digecor Inc.', 'Lumexis Corporation', 'Inflight Dublin Ltd.', 'Bluebox Aviation Systems Ltd.', 'Spafax Networks Inc.', 'Encore Inflight Limited', 'Interact', 'Razor Secure Ltd.', 'FlightPath3D', 'AirFi B.V.', 'Burrana Pty Ltd.'

The growing aviation industry is a primary driver of In-Flight Entertainment System industry growth. The aviation industry continues on its successful path, marked by strong growth especially in certain emerging markets, and healthy consolidation in more mature regions. While air cargo remains somewhat below expectations, passenger growth is solid and air travelers and is expected to double by 2035. The aviation industry also supports 63 million jobs and US$2.7 trillion in GDP. Whereas, emerging markets such as China, and India, are expected to mark a momentous growth in the forecast period. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), China is expected to replace the US as the world’s largest aviation market in 2024. Whereas, India is projected to take over the UK for third place in 2025, while Indonesia and Japan will be ranked 5th and 7th respectively. Additionally, it is estimated that for air travel approximately 817 million new passengers will be added to account for a total of 1.3 billion in 2035 in China. Whereas, 322 million new additional passengers will surplus to account for a total of 442 million in India. Hence, this will contribute to the industry growth in the upcoming years.

One of the key trends in the In-Flight Entertainment System market is the increasing adoption of SATCOM technology in the IFE systems. The higher the frequency, the more bandwidth is accessible, and the larger the bandwidth, the more data can be carried in satellite communication technology. Different frequency bands, including L, S, C, X, Ku, K, and Ka, are used in SATCOM. The Ka-band uses a frequency range of 26.5-40GHz, which is the largest among the other bands. In comparison to other frequency bands such as Ku-band and L-band, the Ka-band provides high-speed data transfer. As a result, the airlines aim to provide an in-flight entertainment and connectivity framework based on the Ka-band SATCOM network. This technique is expected to speed up data streaming and provide high-speed internet. In August 2020, DC Aviation Group announced plans to upgrade their 5000 aircraft with Gogo, LLC's SCS Elite (Elite Smart Cabin System). The aircraft was also equipped with a new satellite communication system and an Inmarsat SwiftBroadband high data rate service.

The In-Flight Entertainment System Market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. In 2021, the North American region is projected to hold the most substantial share of the market. The regional market is likely to be driven by the presence of the major players operating in the market. Viasat, Inc., Astronics Corporation, Iridium Communications Inc., and Gogo LLC are among some of the key players operating in the region in the market. The in-flight internet provider Gogo declared the plans to bring 5G to the North American skies that will start by 2021. 5G services in-flight are intended to power faster Wi-Fi on smaller commercial airlines in the North American region. The company essentially grafted the 5G network onto the 250 towers the company currently leases to power its ATG service. The 5G connection is projected to be delivered to aircraft via a combination of an unlicensed 2.4GHz spectrum, known as a proprietary modem designed by Gogo, and advanced beamforming technology.