SmartSky expects STC completion for at least seven types of aircraft this quarter

Air-to-ground in-flight connectivity provider SmartSky Networks has announced it has at least seven models of aircraft with expected Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) completion this quarter.

The company expects to receive an STC certification from the FAA next on the Dassault Falcon 2000, which finished its SmartSky Flagship system installation and returned to service on 15 April, complementing the Dassault Falcon 900 STC that SmartSky received earlier this year.

Bombardier Lear 60 is also nearing completion and according to SmartSky, this represents the first customer installation of the SmartSky LITE system, the only streaming capable in-flight connectivity solution specifically designed for smaller aircraft.

According to SmartSky, the seven STCs expected this quarter include the Gulfstream 200/280, Cessna Citation Excel/XLS, and Dassault Falcon 2000, all of which would be for Flagship systems. For the company’s LITE system, STCs are expected for Cessna CJ 525 Series (M2 and CJs), Pilatus PC-12, Embraer Phenom 100 and Bombardier Lear 60.

“We’re pursuing an aggressive strategy to get the majority of business aircraft certified for SmartSky as soon as possible because the demand signals we are getting from the marketplace are significant,” said David Helfgott, CEO of SmartSky Networks.

“Not only are our customers flying with highly satisfactory results, we are hosting numerous demonstration flights across the country for prospective customers. Each SmartSky equipped passenger flight delivers an experience unlike anything they’ve had before, making passengers and crew eager to have our system on the planes they fly.”

SmartSky says its system is rapidly becoming available for thousands of the most popular business aviation jet models currently in service and a dozen STCs have already granted and many more are on the way.

In total, SmartSky expects to have certification covering over two-thirds of major aircraft types in service in North America by the end of 2023.

SmartSky has already received STCs from the FAA for the following aircraft:

• Bombardier: Challenger 601 / 604 / 605 / 650
• Dassault: Falcon 900
• Embraer: ERJ135 / 140 / 145
• Gulfstream Models: G350 / G450 / G500 / G550 / GIV / GV-SP
• Textron Model: Citation X Series