Astronics AeroSat expects the in-flight connectivity service it is developing for the business aviation market through its new partnership with Panasonic Avionics to be certified for retrofit installation on the Gulfstream IV family of aircraft in September.
This will then “allow other STCs [supplemental type certificates] to be kicked off” to retrofit the system to other large business jet models, says Astronics AeroSat director of marketing Edward Popek. The Ku-band satellite-based connectivity system is “targeted at the super mid-sized business jet market, covering the [Bombardier] Challenger 604 and [Cessna] Citation X up to the Gulfstream 650”, says Popek.
Astronics AeroSat and Panasonic announced their partnership during the NBAA convention in November. The idea is to connect Astronics’ tail-mounted satcom solution to Panasonic’s Global Communications Services network to provide a high-speed broadband service to the business aviation market.
Popek says customers are not being signed up yet, but after certification in September “we will start to get some customers lined up”. He adds: “The demand is there – lots of customers and dealers are asking when this will be available.”
At this stage the solution will be marketed as a retrofit product, although Popek says discussions are taking place with OEMs about the possibility of offering it as a linefit option.
“We’re confident this will happen but we don’t know which OEM it will be yet,” he adds.
Panasonic knows it is late to the party on entering the business aviation market, but its decision to team up with Astronics AeroSat rather than build its own tail mount antenna will give it a faster route into the sector.
Once it gains a foothold, the company is confident it can “meet a need that was missing”, says Panasonic Global Communications Service vice president David Bruner. He acknowledges there are “entrenched parties” already active in the business aviation in-flight connectivity market, but says competitors are not providing a service that lives up to customer expectations.
“It’s a no-brainer that [business aviation customers] believe they should have the best communications in the world on their aircraft, and they’re not satisfied with what they have today,” says Bruner.
Using the experience and technology it has built up on the commercial aviation side, Panasonic believes its broadband speeds and global coverage will set its product apart from the competition and help it catch up fast with established rivals.
“If you need a true broadband experience, that’s what we offer,” says Bruner.
Source: Flight Daily News
