Summary Nextant Aerospace to install Starlink WiFi on select Bombardier jets with new STC package. Flexjet focuses on reliable high-speed internet connectivity for passengers with Starlink. Flexjet continues to expand fleet offerings with plans to release STC kits for Bombardier Challenger jets.
On Tuesday, August 13, Flexjet officially announced that its engineering business segment, Nextant Aerospace, will begin installing Starlink WiFi connectivity kits. This new offering is available for a select number of in-service Bombardier business jets . The installation work will be completed at designated Bombardier Service Centers worldwide.
Nextant Aerospace will also offer 24/7 support for customers to ensure reliable connectivity is available on its serviced aircraft. Flexjet offers both fractional ownership and jet card services. New Starlink connectivity installations Nextant Aerospace, which is the engineering arm of Flexjet, will soon begin this new installation process.
This will be accomplished with the help of a supplemental-type certificate (STC) package. This STC package was developed in coordination with Nextant Aerospace, Bombardier , and the Starlink provider, SpaceX . It was recently approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) .
It was approved for the following Bombardier aircraft: Global Express Global Express XRS Global 6000 Global 6500 Global 7500 The President of Global Maintenance and Product Support at Flexjet, Jay Heublein, spoke about the new STC installation. Heublein stated, "Several years ago, we recognized the fact that reliable, high-speed connectivity was the most significant in-flight experience that our industry still needed to solve for. After over a year of research, it became clear to us that SpaceX, through Starlink, was going to finally be the solution our industry has been in search of for decades.
Our belief in them early on was rewarded by the incredible experience our Owners are now having with this technology." The new STC allows the passengers of supported aircraft to utilize the high-speed internet provided by Starlink. Internet connectivity is available from the moment passengers step onboard until the time the aircraft lands.
It is considered to be one of the best internet options for aircraft due to the reliability of the Starlink satellite system that SpaceX has developed. This means that accessing the internet while onboard is available even over oceans or other obstacles. Flexjet was also the first private fractional jet operator to offer Starlink.
In September 2023, it offered Starlink WiFi connectivity on its Gulfstream G650 fleet, and it recently began offering connectivity on its Gulfstream G450 and G550 fleet. Flexjet plans to release STC kits for its Bombardier Challenger fleet in the future. About Flexjet Flexjet is a private jet fractional ownership company based in Richmond Heights, Ohio.
It was founded in 1995 as a division of Bombardier Aerospace. Originally, the company operated a fleet of Learjets and Bombardier Challengers around North America. After Bombardier acquired Skyjet, the company began offering a jet card service as well.
In 2013, Directional Aviation purchased Flexjet from Bombardier for nearly $200 million. At that time, it ordered 85 Bombardier business jets valued at nearly $2 billion to continue expanding its fleet. Currently, the company focuses on fractional ownership programs and aircraft leasing as it has moved away from the private charter business and the jet card business.
Additionally, the company has continued expanding its fleet, now offering Embraer Phenom 300s, Embraer Praetors, Gulfstream G450s, Gulfstream G650s, and the soon-to-be-delivered Gulfstream G700..
