Western Jet Aviation, a business jet maintenance facility specialising in Gulfstream aircraft, is paving the way for Collins Aerospace's new LuxStream connectivity service to provide the fastest speeds available on multiple Gulfstreams. Western Jet Aviation, based in Van Nuys, California, and Collins Aerospace anticipate the first STC from the FAA next month to install the KuSAT-2000 satcom terminal on the G450. The G350, GV and G550 aircraft will follow shortly behind, with their STCs slated to be complete before the end of the year.

LuxStream, launched in late 2019, offers speeds up to 25 Mbps in the United States and 15 Mbps globally via SES's managed Ku-band satellite network. This new solution, available as part of Collins Aerospace's ARINCDirect portfolio of services, will provide customers with additional benefits including: high-quality bandwidth capable of supporting multiple streams of ultra-high-definition content, all while fellow passengers are concurrently running other apps; flexible pricing models to meet the aircraft's mission, whether flying daily, weekly or less frequently; an always-on service enabled by the redundancy and resiliency offered by SES satellites; and a turn-key solution with both hardware and service provided by Collins Aerospace, giving the operator one point of contact and access to Collins' industry-leading global support services

“With Western Jet Aviation's STCs, Gulfstream operators can now go to any Collins Aerospace approved MRO to install the KuSAT-2000, allowing them to experience LuxStream's unparalleled connectivity speeds and services,” says Dori Henderson, executive director, business aviation and digital solutions for Collins Aerospace. “We know in-flight connectivity is one of the most in-demand features on today's business aircraft, and we are proud to provide the market's premier service.”

“We are committed to providing our customers with top-class products and services,” adds Jim Hansen, CEO of Western Jet Aviation. “When it comes to cabin connectivity, we believe the KuSAT-2000 system combined with the LuxStream service meets this mark. The fast speeds and great customer service will be a great fit for our Gulfstream customer base.”

LuxStream is powered by SES's global geostationary high-throughput and wide satellite beams, as well as a flexible, intelligent ground network. Its performance has been validated extensively with more than 25 passengers able to easily access the internet and stream entertainment content to their personal devices at 25Mbps at the same time. Additional LuxStream STCs are anticipated by the end of the third quarter of 2020.