LuxStream offered on G350, G450, GV and G550

Western Jet Aviation and Collins Aerospace have gained an FAA STC enabling the installation of the KuSAT-2000 satcom terminal on Gulfstream GV and G550 jets. Western Jet Aviation already holds similar STCs enabling it to offer KuSAT-2000 systems with LuxStream service on G350 and G450 aircraft.

LuxStream, launched in late 2019, offers speeds up to 25Mbps in the USA and 15Mbps globally via SES’s managed Ku-band satellite network. The network is powered by global geostationary high-throughput, wide-satellite beams and a flexible ground network. Western Jet Aviation notes its performance has been validated extensively, with more than 25 passengers able to access the internet and stream entertainment content to their personal devices simultaneously at 25Mbps.

This new solution is available as part of Collins Aerospace’s ARINCDirect portfolio of services. The bandwidth is intended to support multiple streams of ultra-HD content, all while fellow passengers are concurrently running other apps. The service is designed to be ‘always-on’, with redundancy and resiliency supported by SES satellites.

There are flexible pricing models to meet the aircraft’s mission – whether flying daily, weekly or less frequently. Collins Aerospace provides both hardware and service, giving the operator one point of contact and access to Collins’ global support services.

David Mendelson, co-founder of Pam Jets, had an owner who was searching for a NextGen solution for international and domestic wi-fi service for their G450. “We worked with the team at Western Jet Aviation and selected LuxStream,” said Mendelson. “Using our platform, Western Jet Aviation achieved the required STC and we are thrilled. The new system has been reliable and has outperformed. The plane is now operating 30 hours per month.”

Jim Hansen, CEO and founder of Western Jet Aviation, is excited to be able to offer installations of the KuSAT-2000 system with LuxStream service on GV/G550 aircraft. “At the completion of the STC for the G350/G450 in October 2020, our GV and G550 customers were already asking when we would be able to provide them with this service,” he said. “The completion of this STC allows us to offer installations on GV and G550 aircraft for the first time ever.”

Western Jet Aviation has completed EASA certification for the G350 and G450. Certification for the GV and G550 is expected to be completed in March 2021.