Business aviation operators have many new options for cabin connectivity and entertainment.
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Inflight connectivity has changed from being perceived as a luxurious perk on a business aircraft to a standard expectation in today’s connected world. Being disconnected while flying is no longer the norm, and today’s flyers have made that clear. Whether the goal is to conduct video conference calls from the air, or simply stream movies, here are some inflight connectivity providers specializing in business aviation.
Collins Aerospace In partnership with SES, a Luxembourg-based satellite network provider, Collins Aerospace offers its LuxStream service, which is specific to business aviation. LuxStream connects with SES’ managed Ku-band network to offer data speeds of up to 25 Mbps in the U.S. and 15 Mbps globally, enough bandwidth to support the concurrent use of multiple applications with high-definition content.
Credit: Western Jet Aviation
If a flight department already uses the ARINCDirect portfolio of flight planning services or is looking to switch to ARINCDirect, LuxStream is a good choice to include for cabin entertainment and connectivity. As with Satcom Direct’s Plane Simple tail-mounted antenna system, LuxStream is available for medium-to-large jets capable of installing a 12-in. tail-mounted antenna. https://marketplace.aviationweek.com/company/collins-aerospace
Gogo Business Aviation In 2021, multinational satellite service company Intelsat acquired Gogo’s commercial business for $400 million, resulting in enhanced capabilities and innovation for Gogo’s inflight digital connectivity offerings. To help navigate Gogo’s product offerings, the company has created a recommendation tool on its website to narrow down the plethora of options. By answering eight simple questions, including aircraft make and model, type of trips an aircraft is typically used for and preferences for services offered, Gogo will generate a recommended connectivity system tailored to specific requirements.
Credit: Gogo Business Aviation
Gogo Business Aviation offers the Avance ATG system; it says a membership program called Smartshield, offers the best upgrade path to Avance L5 integrated 4G service. The program offers warranties of Avance parts and labor should something break; discounts on certain products and services; and billing benefits that include fixed service pricing and annual data overage forgiveness of up to $4,000. Gogo also offers is an unlimited data and streaming plan. Gogo’s new 5G service is on track to launch later this year. The company announced in late July that 5G network construction is halfway complete with a 75th site now online. https://marketplace.aviationweek.com/company/gogo-llc
Satcom Direct Satcom Direct this year announced the introduction of its Plane Simple Ku-band tail-mounted antenna system, which connects with the Intelsat FlexExec service. The terminal consists of two-line replaceable units, making it easy to install and upgrade.
Credit: Satcom Direct
The Plane Simple antenna system is designed specifically for business aviation has not been repurposed from commercial aviation. With a small footprint, it can be installed on any aircraft that can support a 12-in.-radius antenna. Satcom Direct is known for its Global One Number (GON) cabin system, dating back to 1997. It enables the ability to directly call an aircraft in flight, wherever that aircraft may be, on its own unique phone number. Bringing this signature product to the 21st century is “aeroV,” a Voice over Internet Protocol service that enables passengers to configure their smartphones as extensions of the GON through the onboard satellite phone system. For entertainment, the company offers “OneView,” which is a connection to satellite TV provider DIRECTV for live television, breaking news, sports and other programming. https://marketplace.aviationweek.com/company/satcom-direct
SmartSky Networks This past year has seen a slew of announcements for sales and installation agreements between SmartSky Networks and various business jet service centers for SmartSky’s broadband ATG offering. SmartSky has been selected for fleet-wide connectivity from operators including flyExclusive and Jet It. As of late July, SmartSky’s network had been expanded to cover the entire continental U.S. The company recently released its LiTE configuration shipset, designed specifically for light jet and turboprop aircraft.
Credit: SmartSky Networks
SmartSky offers four options for monthly data plans: 5 GB, 20 GB, 50 GB and unlimited. Prices range from $2,995 per month up to $9,995 per month, with a $1,495/GB overage fee if more data is used. Supplemental type certificates (STCs) to install the SmartSky shipset are available for models including the Textron Citation XL/XLS, Gulfstream G350/450/500/550/GV-SP/GIV-X, Bombardier Challenger 601/604/605/650 and Embraer 135/140/145. Each aircraft that utilizes SmartSky’s connectivity systems is assigned a unique connection to the ATG network, meaning bandwidth is not shared with other aircraft, ensuring a stable connection with privacy. https://marketplace.aviationweek.com/company/smartsky-networks
ViaSat Viasat’s newest release is the Viasat Select Ka-band Direct Service, which is described as providing an “office-like internet experience” with enough bandwidth for video conferencing, streaming entertainment and access to VPN networks for multiple users simultaneously. The company states that high-speed capacities are not limited when more devices are added thanks to its current satellite network, which covers 90% of the most popular business aviation flight paths over land and sea.
Credit: Viasat Inc.
More connection coverage is expected with the completion of the new ViaSat-3 constellation, which follows the 2017 launch of ViaSat-2. ViaSat-3 is a trio of satellites, with each satellite expected to offer one terabit or more of total network capacity. Installed systems are designed to support future technologies so connectivity system overhauls won’t be necessary. Monthly service plans start at $2,795 and options are available for unlimited data. Services have the option of being billed hourly so charter companies can build the cost of using Wi-Fi into their charter rates. https://marketplace.aviationweek.com/company/viasat-inc
Credit: Honeywell
Honeywell Honeywell Aerospace provides access to Inmarsat’s Global Xpress Ka-band network, Jet ConneX, through its JetWave satcom hardware. The avionics manufacturer also supplies equipment for domestic aircraft in China that use Chinasat Ka-band service. JetWave consists of a tail-mounted, MCS-8000 high-gain antenna for business aviation (or MCS-8100 fuselage-mounted antenna for airliners) and a common radio-frequency and antenna controller, modem and router. Connectivity hardware lives under Honeywell Forge, the software providing enterprise performance management for aviation operations, and has compatibility with a variety of other airtime service providers, including Viasat, SmartSky Networks, Iridium and FalconConnect. https://marketplace.aviationweek.com/company/honeywell-aerospace-0
