Getting the first few certifications and installations secured is always a bit of a challenge. But Starlink is quickly scaling up and out in the business aviation segment, securing multiple distribution and installation partners to handle demand for the satellite-based inflight internet services on private planes. And with tens of thousands of private planes still lacking inflight internet services on board the potential market is huge.
Starlink officially entered the market in late 2022, with plans to deliver hardware (and certifications) in 2023. The company hit those early targets and is now ramping up efforts to capture a larger share of the market. It has multiple STCs (mostly being driven by MROs, not the company, which is a good thing) achieved, including recently for the King Air 200/300 family. That kit weighs in at just 60 pounds, which is competitive with the ATG solutions.
Starlink cites a $150,000 upfront price for the install kit, but PaxEx.Aero has seen volume discounts for dealers dropping that as low as $65,000 with a 6 unit/quarter commitment.
And the dealers are signing up. Among them:
- Clay Lacy Aviation will install the system at its MRO facilities in Van Nuys, California, and Oxford, Connecticut.
- Duncan Aviation offers the system at its full service facilities in Battle Creek, Michigan; Lincoln, Nebraska; and Provo, Utah, plus a satellite location in Houston, Texas.
- Thornton Aviation is installing systems at its facilities in Van Nuys, California
- Citadel Completions is installing systems at its facility located at Chennault International Airport (CWF) in Louisiana.
Starlink also dropped its bandwidth pricing form the initial launch. The company now offers a month-to-month plan with 20 GB globally for $2,000 or unlimited data for $10,000.
Notably, Citadel installed the kit on SpaceX’s in-house 737-800.
Most of the suppliers also offer installation of at least one air-to-ground connectivity solution (Gogo or SmartSky). While pricing and STC availability will drive decisions for aircraft owners, access to the hardware at their preferred MRO site would seem to not be a problem in the industry.
Also of note, while the company claims global coverage, its ability to offer service flying over most countries around the globe remains limited. Its website lists 65 countries or territories where it is authorized, as of December 2023. That will continue to expand, but for some jet owners or operators the limits may be a sufficient deterrent to signing on, at least for now.
With SmartSky and Gogo pushing their next-gen ATG systems, and Gogo’s Galileo set to launch on the OneWeb constellation later this year there’s plenty of connectivity competition in the business aviation market. That’s good news for aircraft owners, and matches the growing demand for services across a growing geographic footprint. But, for now, Starlink seems to have a lead in service availability for the LEO satellite segment.
Related BizAv IFC news:
- ALOFT confirm first OneWeb BBJ installation
- Gogo 5G slips a bit, with massive install forecast
- SmartSky catches a major “break” in Gogo patent infringement suit
- Stellar Blu Sidewinder terminal certification slips, production ramps up
- SmartSky grows STC, install base
- Gogo, Satcom Direct push forward with LEO ESAs
- Starlink now certified for Global Express installs
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