Gulfstream Delivers 100th Aircraft Integrating Jet ConneX Connectivity Technology

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Gulfstream recently announced that it delivered its 100th aircraft integrating the global high-speed Wi-Fi Jet ConneX connectivity system that operates on the Ka-band radio frequency. (Photo courtesy of Gulfstream Aerospace.)

If you’ve traveled recently on a Gulfstream Aerospace aircraft that integrates Inmarsat’s Jet ConneX connectivity, you may already know that the global high-speed Wi-Fi-based system supports real-time TV, high-speed broadband internet access, FaceTime calls, live chats, and multiple simultaneous VPN sessions involving large file transfers, among other applications. What you may not know is that Gulfstream recently delivered its 100th aircraft with the system installed, and that the company sits in rarefied air where Jet ConneX is concerned.

More Than All Others

Inmarsat, a global provider of mobile satellite communication services, is the owner of the satellite network that operates the Ka-band internet service on which Jet ConneX operates. According to Rupert Pearce, CEO of Inmarsat, Gulfstream has delivered more aircraft integrating Jet ConneX to date than any other OEM.

Gulfstream announced back in 2016 that it would begin including Jet ConneX with its G650ER, G650, G550, and G450 aircraft as a completions option and retrofit. Gulfstream now states that Jet ConneX is also available with the Gulfstream G500 and G600. Gulfstream says it’s also working on offering similar advanced connectivity for its G280 and other models. Moreover, the company says a new Connectivity Service it’s offering establishes the company as the “single source for equipment; service networks, including Jet ConneX; and technical support.”

Land Or Water

Both the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the European Aviation Safety Agency have certified Jet ConneX, which offers speeds of up to 15 megabits per second. That, says Gulfstream, is comparable to services users would find in offices or their homes. Aside from in polar regions, the service’s coverage is worldwide and, according to Gulfstream, is “reliable over land and water and through all phases of flight.”

In a statement, Derek Zimmerman, Gulfstream product support president, said Gulfstream’s success with Jet ConneX offers a prime example of Gulfstream’s technical expertise and customer service coming together. “We invested engineering and material resources into securing supplemental type certificates that would allow us to efficiently incorporate this technology on our aircraft,” he said. “Additionally, we conducted a thorough in-service evaluation to ensure our application of Jet ConneX would exceed our customers’ expectations, and it has. We now average about eight to 10 installs a month.”

For new aircraft, Gulfstream performs Jet ConneX installations at its completion centers in Savanah, Georgia; Appleton, Wisconsin; and Long Beach, California. For aircraft already in service, the company can perform installations at one of its service centers in Wisconsin, Georgia, Texas, Nevada, California, Massachusetts, and England.

Overall, Gulfstream, a subsidiary of General Dynamics, has delivered more than 2,800 aircraft. You’ll find numerous pre-owned Gulfstream aircraft for sale on Controller.com, including G280, G500, G550, G650, and G650ER aircraft.

Source: Gulfstream Aerospace

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