Gogo has received Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA) from the FAA for its Gogo Galileo HDX antenna. With the PMA confirmed, Gogo is moving to full-scale production and sales of the HDX, enabling the global Gogo dealer network to begin installations of the electronically steered antenna (ESA) and finalise STC generation for more than 30 aircraft types.
To secure the PMA confirmation, Gogo worked with Delta Engineering, which, as a member of the FAA Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) programme, administered the approval.
Purpose-built for business aviation and designed for ease of installation, the streamlined antenna fits onto the aircraft fuselage. Gogo explained that simple cabling connects the ESA to the Gogo Avance system to support the distribution of high-speed broadband, delivering up to 60Mbps, throughout the cabin.
Leveraging the global Eutelsat OneWeb Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation, operators and owners can now optimise the HDX antenna capabilities for low-latency connectivity on every size of business jet, Gogo said.
The HDX can be equipped onto new aircraft or retrofitted for cabin upgrades. Operators and owners of a wide selection of aircraft types, from small to heavy jets, executive airliners and turboprops, for which the HDX is qualified, will benefit from uninterrupted global connectivity, Gogo added.
“The PMA approval represents a significant change for the connectivity landscape as the introduction of the Gogo Galileo LEO HDX antenna opens up a whole new world of connectivity for existing and new customers,” said Chris Moore, CEO of Gogo. “We know operators and private owners of the smaller cabins want access to the same high-speed connectivity options as the large jets, and with HDX installed, we are filling that gap in the market. For larger aircraft, the HDX can complement existing connectivity solutions or boost redundancy to support the ever-increasing appetite for data to power multiple applications. For operators of mixed-size fleets, there is now a connectivity solution whatever their connectivity needs, large, medium, or small.”
