Press Release

Issued by Thales.

May 23, 2013

On the final day of EBACE, Cobham Satcom has announced that its AVIATOR 200 SwiftBroadband solution has received a European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for its use aboard Pilatus PC-12 aircraft.

The EASA validation was secured by Cobham Satcom partner RUAG and includes exclusive rights for the Swiss-based international aerospace and defence technology group to use the STC in Europe. The new certification was developed in cooperation with Cobham Satcom partner Pro Star Aviation, which carried out successful installation and testing of the AVIATOR 200 on the Pilatus PC-12 to receive the original Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) STC last year.

The EASA STC includes the activation of the AVIATOR 200's built-in Wi-Fi option, offering access to an extensive range of communication capabilities aboard Pilatus PC-12/45, PC-12/47 and PC-12/47E.

Kevin Harriman, Pro Star Aviation general manager, commented: “The AVIATOR 200 offers the perfect broadband and voice solution for the PC-12, as it is practical and affordable, and the system is easily installed."

Cobham's AVIATOR 200 is an exceptionally compact, lightweight system that offers reliable, affordable connectivity to provide users with a range of services including data, video and voice.

With built-in Wi-Fi capability, the AVIATOR 200 allows aircraft operators to offer wireless connectivity on board, supporting the use of Wi-Fi-enabled devices such as laptops, tablets and smartphones.

Henri Broussalian, sales director EMEA for Cobham Satcom, commented: “The AVIATOR 200 offers in-flight broadband communication to aircraft of virtually any size as it utilizes a low gain antenna.

“Receipt of the PC-12 EASA STC is another key step forward in making the system available to the widest range of aircraft possible, enabling more users to take advantage of modern in-flight communications.”

The AVIATOR 200 is the smallest and lightest system in Cobham Satcom's cutting-edge SwiftBroadband product portfolio and utilizes Inmarsat's SwiftBroadband 200 service. AVIATOR 200 simultaneously provides data speeds of up to 200 kbps and a single AMBE 2 channel for voice calls, providing a complete airborne communications solution previously unavailable to aircraft below a certain size.

The full Cobham Satcom AVIATOR range includes the AVIATOR 700 and 700D, AVIATOR 350 with High Gain Antenna (HGA) and versatile AVIATOR 300 with Intermediate Gain Antenna (IGA).