ATG connectivity provider SmartSky has received an FAA STC for SmartSky LITE on the King Air 350i. The certificate covers installation of the inflight wi-fi system for King Air models B200, B200C, B200GT, 250, 250C, 250EP, 260, 260C, 300, 350, 350C, 350CER, 350i, 350iER, 360, 360C and 360CER, representing over 2,000 in-service aircraft.

The first article installation was completed by Davinci Jets Services, a full-service MRO and FAA Part 135 charter firm operated by North Carolina-based aircraft management firm Davinci Jets. As part of previously announced plans to equip the majority of its managed fleet with SmartSky connectivity, due to SmartSky's ability to deliver the connected experience inflight customers have been demanding for years, Davinci has already completed first-of-type installations on a Citation CJ4, Citation Latitude and Pilatus PC-12.

“Receiving this STC marks significant progress in the SmartSky STC lineup and in delivering our high-performance solution to a series of aircraft that has long been underserved by inflight connectivity. The pilots and passengers of this aircraft are absolutely delighted with the ability to connect to whatever is most important, without limitations,” says CEO David Helfgott about this first King Air, which was previously equipped with Gogo Avance L3 before being replaced with the SmartSky LITE system.

The King Air pilot captain Greg Mashburn says: “So far, it's been way better, obviously. Gogo was pretty spotty and half the time our passengers or the crew couldn't even connect, let alone send a text. Now we can send photos, FaceTime and stream videos really easily. Everyone's excited.”

The SmartSky LITE system has received multiple industry accolades including a 2024 Aviation Week Laureate award, and just last month was named Robb Report's first-ever Best of the Best in aviation for cabin connectivity.

Along with the Davinci Jet Services installations, SmartSky has completed first-article installations on four additional models that are awaiting STC issuance with six more in progress as it continues to aggressively expand its diverse roster of certified airframes. SmartSky has STCs covering more than 6,000 in-service aircraft and the in-progress projects represent about 10,000 more.