Brian Adams, VP of innovation and business operations at Textron Aviation, shares all about the OEM’s expanded aftermarket offerings for onboard connectivity.
In today’s fast-paced, digitally driven world, connectivity is no longer a luxury – it’s a necessity. Many of our customers expect their aircraft to function as an extension of their office or home, enabling seamless productivity from take-off to landing. That’s why we’ve collaborated with industry leaders like Gogo and Starlink to deliver cutting-edge inflight connectivity solutions tailored to the unique demands of business aviation.
Gogo Galileo’s Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite network is engineered specifically for business aviation, offering low latency and consistent coverage across continents. Its compact antenna design makes it ideal for a wide range of aircraft.
Starlink, developed by SpaceX, provides high-speed satellite internet with global reach – including most overwater and remote regions – making it a powerful solution for operators who require uninterrupted access to video conferencing, cloud-based applications and secure networks.
With Gogo Galileo and Starlink onboard, passengers can conduct business, chat with loved ones or unwind with a favourite show without interruption – whether flying from New York to Chicago or Paris to Dubai. These systems enable real-time collaboration, secure data access and a digital experience that mirrors the office environment.
These collaborations allow Textron Aviation to offer tailored connectivity solutions that meet the evolving needs of business travellers. That’s why we expanded our aftermarket offerings to include Starlink installations across a wide range of aircraft, including the Beechcraft King Air B200/B300 series, Cessna Citation Excel/XLS/XLS+, XLS Gen2, Sovereign/Sovereign+ and the Cessna Caravan. Gogo Galileo will soon be available on Cessna Citation jets. These upgrades are available through our global network of service centres.
First-time buyer considerations
For those interested in upgrading their aircraft, customers can work directly with our aftermarket team.
Choosing a connectivity provider starts with understanding how a customer plans to use the system in flight – whether that’s simple text messaging or supporting multiple high bandwidth devices for streaming, video conferencing and business applications. From there, our experts work directly with customers to assess mission profiles, typical routes and aircraft capabilities to determine the solution that best fits their needs.
For aftermarket Cessna Citation, Beechcraft King Air and Hawker aircraft, we offer solutions that accommodate a full range of performance and budget needs. AirText provides SMS functionality for up to 16 users through the Iridium satellite network, along with moving map services. For operators who require higher performance including streaming, video conferencing and heavy internet use, Textron Aviation offers upgrades for satellite-based systems such as Starlink and Gogo Galileo high-speed internet, as well as Gogo’s US-based air-to-ground Avance platforms. Availability varies by aircraft model and region, and we continue to invest heavily in our aftermarket offerings to expand options across our fleet.
This article was written by Brian Adams, VP of innovation and business operations at Textron Aviation.
