OneWeb has a confirmed first customer in the business aviation segment. ALOFT AeroArchitects will activate the service on a 737 BBJ via a contract with Satcom Direct, and the Sidewinder antenna provided by Stellar Blu.
Our BBJ customers expect their aircraft to be as comfortable and capable as their homes and offices. This expectation now includes high speed connectivity and being able to remain connected through their personal devices – all the time. – Colby Hall, Director of Integrated Technology at ALOFT
As part of the program ALOFT is developing a Supplemental Type Certification (STC) for the 737-platform using its internal engineering, certification, and ODA resources. The company is also offering that STC for purchase by other VVIP 737 operators and MROs worldwide.
Eutelsat recently disclosed that the OneWeb network’s full activation will be delayed a couple months as the ground station work is completed. That is not expected to delay activation of aviation terminals on the network, however. With the ground stations available to cover the vast majority of flight paths the ALOFT aircraft is unlikely to see gaps in service as it takes flight.
With this BBJ fitted the 737 family now has two options for LEO-based inflight internet services. SpaceX equipped its 737-800 earlier this year with its Starlink system. While Starlink sells directly to aircraft operators OneWeb works with distribution partners, such as Satcom Direct and Gogo Business Aviation to sell its connectivity services. Both companies appear to be relying on MROs and fleet operators to develop the STCs for implementations rather than developing them in-house.
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