US MRO West Star Aviation has developed and certified an STC for the installation of Future Air Navigation System (FANS) equipment for Citation X aircraft in partnership with Honeywell. The company recently completed the first installation at its St Louis Regional airport facility in East Alton, Illinois.

The FANS approval will provide Citation X operators the ability to fly in the most efficient routes in remote airspace and allows operation in the North Atlantic Tracks (NATS). The installation also provides enhanced digital communication in North American and European airspace.

While the initial certification installation occurred at the East Alton location, the STC is also available at any of West Star's other full service locations: Grand Junction Regional airport in Colorado; Lovell Field in Chattanooga, Tennessee; and Perryville Regional airport in Missouri. Downtime for a typical installation is estimated at just four weeks.

The Citation X FANS STC is the latest addition to West Star's growing library of airframes certified for this installation. The company plans to make this STC available to other MROs as well.

“With FANS/CPDLC certification and operational approvals on the Citation X, the STC will allow aircraft to communicate more efficiently with ATC and get more advantageous routing," says avionics technical sales manager Mike Sichmeller. "The more efficient datalink communications provides faster and more reliable communications along with reduced VHF and HF voice communications. More accurate position reporting will result in efficiency gains and reduced aircraft separation. This installation brings the next gen communications capability to the cockpit.”