HAWKER FLEET GAINS HIGH-SPEED STARLINK CONNECTIVITY OPTION

Textron Aviation has announced that Starlink’s high-speed internet is now available for the Hawker 700, 800 and 900 series, after the Federal Aviation Administration issued AeroMech a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) covering the installation. An STC is the FAA approval required to modify a type-certificated aircraft design, and in this case it was AeroMech, an STC and PMA holder based at Orlando/Sanford (KSFB) and Smyrna, Tennessee (KMQY), that did the certification work; Textron Aviation’s role is to make the resulting Starlink Aviation Performance Kit available for installation through its own service network.

WHAT THE UPGRADE OFFERS

The Starlink Aviation Performance Kit uses SpaceX’s low Earth orbit satellite constellation to support streaming, video calls, gaming and other online applications, with download speeds of up to 1 Gbps, upload speeds of up to 100 Mbps and latency as low as 20 milliseconds. Textron Aviation says the system is designed to hold a connection more reliably over water, land and remote areas than traditional in-flight Wi-Fi. “Hawker operators continue to look to Textron Aviation for long-term care and upgrade solutions that ensure their aircraft remain mission-ready in today’s operating environment,” said Brad White, senior vice president, Customer Support. “By listening closely to our customers to expand Starlink availability, we are reinforcing our commitment to supporting the Hawker fleet.” Installation can be scheduled at North American Textron Aviation Service Centers and select international locations.