AirX, one of Europe’s largest private jet operators, has confirmed it is upgrading its connectivity across its Bombardier Challenger 850 aircraft fleet by installing the Gogo Plane Simple® Ku-band terminal. The equipping of the terminals is part of a customized service plan created by Gogo to support very specific AirX requests that ensure passengers receive high-speed inflight connectivity. The tailored bundle includes Pay-As-You-Go airtime for broadband connectivity, and AirX is also taking advantage of Sky Ticket Credit Card (STCC) technology, which enables the operator to provide on-demand connectivity. The ability to control, manage, and access customer connectivity usage through a dedicated portal ensures passengers can access high-speed Wi-Fi while onboard.
To date, two Bombardier Challenger 850 aircraft have been fitted with the Gogo Plane Simple® Ku-band terminal and are now fully operational. The initial installation, managed by Alamo Engineering at AirX’s London Stansted facility, resulted in the issuance of a new EASA Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the aircraft type.
The equipping of the advanced technology terminals represents the first phase of an entire AirX fleet connectivity upgrade, which aims to provide uniform, high-speed connectivity across the fleet. “Demand for our charter services is continuing to grow, with each aircraft currently undertaking, on average, 900 hours of flight per year. Limiting downtime is a key consideration, which is why this upgrade program is underway,” says Houssam Hazzoury, AirX Group CEO. “The simplicity of the Gogo antenna series means we can add reliable, consistent global connectivity with minimal downtime. The streamlined upgrade path and the fact we can make one call to Gogo for end-to-end connectivity management and support were key decisions in our selection process.”
