Flexjet, a global leader in subscription-based private aviation, announced a partnership with Starlink, the broadband satellite internet provider, to offer high-speed in-flight Wi-Fi to its aircraft owners.
This makes Flexjet the first shared ownership jet travel provider to offer such connectivity, allowing passengers to conduct voice and video calls, stream video, and engage in other high-speed internet activities during flight.
The collaboration involved an 18-month technology evaluation and work with Nextant Aerospace, Flexjet’s engineering arm.
“Through Starlink, SpaceX has created the most significant technology advancement for private jet travel that we’ve seen in the last 2 decades. Reliable connectivity is vital to our Owners and for the first time, the technology exists to deliver on this expectation,” said Jay Heublein, who leads Flexjet Global Maintenance and Product division, in a statement.
Chad Gibbs, SpaceX’s Vice President of Starlink Business Operations, stated, “Our focus from day one was to solve for the shortcomings of existing in-flight technology and ensure that Flexjet could offer a seamless connectivity solution from ground to flight and back.”
The Federal Aviation Administration has certified Starlink’s technology for use in Flexjet’s Gulfstream G650s. The company plans to extend this technology to its other fleets, including Praetor 600, Challenger 350/3500, Embraer Praetor 500, and Phenom 300.
Starlink operates over 4,500 satellites in low-Earth orbit, providing global internet access. Its hardware features a phased array antenna with no moving parts, addressing reliability issues that have affected legacy systems.
Flexjet passengers will have consistent internet access from the moment they board the aircraft, unlike other aviation internet providers that require reaching a certain altitude for connectivity.
SpaceX’s Starlink is quickly becoming the default in-flight high-speed internet service, as so far no other competitors can keep up with Elon Musk’s fast-paced company, that’s vertically integrated.
