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Viasat reports that its satellite communication services, including those in aviation, were only “minimally impacted” by China’s sanctions against the US firm, which have now been lifted.
On January 7, China sanctioned Viasat and four other American defense-related firms in response to US weapons sales to Taiwan. This move was largely seen as symbolic.
Observers of the inflight connectivity market were surprised by China's decision. For years, Viasat had established agreements with Chinese technology providers such as China Satcom to support high-speed inflight connectivity (IFC) for Chinese airlines. By December 2022, Sichuan Airlines had become a customer of Viasat. Additionally, after acquiring London-headquartered Inmarsat last year, Viasat gained significant cockpit communications business in China.
