Nextant Develops Kits for Starlink Installs on Globals

Nextant Aerospace, working with Bombardier and SpaceX, has obtained FAA supplemental type certification and is offering kits for the installation of Starlink in-flight connectivity on a range of Globals. The kits can be installed at the Bombardier service centers worldwide and Nextant, the engineering arm of Flexjet, will provide dedicated 24/7 support.

Kits are certified for the Bombardier Global Express, XRS, 6000, 6500, and 7500. The Starlink installation will provide passengers and crew with access to high-speed internet that approaches that of a terrestrial-based option, Nextant said. Starlink provides high-speed, low-latency internet globally using a constellation of more than 6,000 low-earth-orbit satellites. This provides seamless service, even over oceans.

Flexjet became one of the first to adopt Starlink, obtaining FAA approval for installation on Gulfstream G650s last September. Since then, Flexjet’s Nextant operation has expanded the STCs to cover the Globals, as well as the Gulfstream G550 and G450. Nextant further anticipates releasing STC kits for Bombardier Challengers by the end of the year.

“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,” said Jay Heublein, president of Flexjet global maintenance and product support. “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."