On-board connectivity in business aviation has evolved beyond ‘how fast?’ to best-in-class digital experiences
With the advent of satellite for on-board communications, connectivity is now a key requirement of business aviation users, and within that requirement comes the necessity of inflight cybersecurity.
The evolution since the days of air-to-ground (ATG) connectivity has gone from narrow pipelines enabling voice or e-mail based on hand-me-downs from the commercial aviation industry to bespoke wide-open channels enabling the entire user experience passengers enjoy at home or in the office. Today, business aviation fliers can tap into Internet, e-mail, video conferencing, gaming and streaming live movies and TV from boarding to deplaning globally no matter how remote the location. And charter passengers are now savvy enough to choose aircraft based on connectivity.
“A decade ago, inflight connectivity was the domain of the large and heavy jets and supported simple voice applications,” says Michael Skou Christensen, chief commercial officer at Gogo, a provider of broadband inflight connectivity and entertainment solutions for business aviation.
“The ability to speak to someone on their smart phone only really became a reality in the last decade,” Christensen explains. “Before then connectivity was mainly delivered through handsets and was limited to voice calls. The limiting factors have included satellite network access for many aircraft which has been partly limited by equipment size needed to make the connections required to link an aircraft travelling at 40,000 feet to a satellite and then make the transmission down to a ground station. Equipment advancements has seen terminal sizes decrease to enable more aircraft sizes to optimize connectivity.”
As recently as 2010, inflight WiFi was considered a luxury rather than a necessity. Now, connectivity is now a fundamental expectation, according to Chris Murray, executive vice president-private jets, Americas, Air Partner, a Wheels Up company.
Changes within the industry and customer demand have dictated a shift from speed to overall experience. Until now, connectivity providers have used speed and allowances to determine which service plan a business aviation customer should be placed on, with complicated service level agreements that are often difficult to assess, according to Viasat. However, this approach does not resonate with today’s market. Customers are savvy enough to understand that speed alone will never meet their requirements and beyond a certain bandwidth threshold, higher speed has little impact on actual passenger experience. As the breadth and depth of criteria used to assess connectivity becomes more mature, the days of speed test decision-making are over.
Basic Requirements
The evolution also complicates the task of corporate travel managers to ensure their travelers have what they need by booking the appropriate tier of service charter operators now offer.
As with many operators, Air Partner offers a range of inflight communications services, designed to fit the aircraft’s capabilities to the mission. “Connectivity is now a core consideration in our fleet upgrades and aircraft selection process because it is a top priority for both members and private charter clients,” says Murray. “Our members and charter clients rely on private aviation as an extension of their workspace. To support their productivity, we offer aircraft options that detail onboard WiFi capabilities, including speed, reliability and coverage. More than ever, we see clients selecting aircraft based on WiFi performance, with many opting for more advanced connectivity solutions even at a premium, which reinforces the high importance of highspeed, uninterrupted Internet access to seamless communication and virtual collaboration at 40,000 feet.”
David Owens, vice president of business aviation for Chapman Freeborn, agrees. “At Chapman Freeborn, ensuring a seamless, efficient travel experience where confidential work can take place is the top priority for business travelers,” Owens says. He cites a National Business Aviation Association study on how travelers spend their inflight time.
“Passengers spend two-thirds of their time on business aircraft working, including 40 percent meeting with colleagues or customers safe from corporate espionage,” according to the NBAA report. “A business airplane has been called an ‘office in the sky,’ allowing travelers to meet, plan, and work enroute, staying productive throughout the trip while remaining in touch with colleagues and clients on the ground via modern onboard communications equipment. The most important amenity is WiFi. Most US-based operators now offer complimentary domestic WiFi.”
Murray points to the advent of the growing satellite-based infrastructure now being deployed in low earth orbit. “One of the most significant advancements in private aviation is the introduction of Starlink, which offers high-speed, low-latency Internet access,” he explains. “Unlike earlier inflight WiFi systems, Starlink allows multiple passengers to stream high-definition content, conduct video calls, and access real-time cloud services with minimal interruptions. Additionally, with Wheels Up’s investment in fleet modernization and our collaboration with Gogo, we are delivering enhanced connectivity solutions that provide gate-to-gate and overwater WiFi access.”
The important issue for clients is being kept current on availability. “We make this process seamless,” Owens says, highlighting the importance of partnering with a knowledgeable charter provider. “If WiFi is unavailable on rare occasions, we inform clients in advance and explain the differences in connectivity options, such as GoGo WiFi versus higher-speed alternatives. High-speed satellite Internet such as Gogo Galileo ESA terminals link with the OneWeb satellite networks, reducing latency and enabling seamless connectivity globally. Today, passengers can sync their devices with onboard systems for entertainment or document sharing. Updated satellite phones also provide real-time communication with contacts on the ground.”
Murray notes that both Wheels Up and Air Partner provide a range of aircraft solutions tailored to clients’ specific connectivity needs. Wheels Up Charter in the US offers aircraft with a variety of WiFi capabilities, from Gogo ATG 4000, which supports light browsing and e-mail, to next-generation technologies like Starlink, that allows multiple passengers to download and stream content, conduct video conferences, and access cloud-based applications simultaneously.
“As part of Wheels Up’s fleet modernization initiative, we partnered with Gogo to deliver gate-to-gate and overwater WiFi access, ensuring enhanced connectivity across our fleet.”
Dramatic Transformations
“The growing number of satellite constellations enabling multi-orbit connectivity gives even more options to customers and the multi-orbit, multi-band offering creates more competition,” Christensen says. In an important strategic move, Gogo recently acquired Satcom Direct (SD), combining it with Gogo Business Aviation. “We are network agnostic, which means we can offer a diverse portfolio of solutions to suit every mission need,” he says. “Our aim is to always provide the most suitable solution for the customer, and as the competition increases, customers can enjoy more competitive services and pricing.”
In addition to satellites, much of this new capability has been enabled by miniaturization of antenna systems and simplification of installation, according to Christensen. He points to the 2020 introduction of the SD Plane Simple Antenna Series, which offers a more compact antenna and a single, rather than multiple boxes. The new antennas are more compact and have been purpose-built to support the specific requirements of business aviation, requiring minimally invasive installation and broadening the types of aircraft equipped for connectivity.
“Business aviation connectivity has undergone a dramatic transformation,” Claudio D’Amico, Viasat’s vice president of strategic market engagement-business aviation, told BTE. “In the past, operators used to grapple with the challenge of simply getting connected. Today, consistent, high-quality connectivity is no longer a luxury, but a baseline expectation. Passengers demand an inflight experience that mirrors their on-ground productivity and entertainment needs, regardless of location or aircraft type. They need to seamlessly contact colleagues and loved ones, transfer large files, and stream content without interruption. This shift in expectations, driven by the increasing reliance on data and cloud-based applications, required a fundamental change in how we approach in-flight connectivity.”
D’Amico cites Viasat’s contribution in the last major business aviation connectivity evolution – its Jet ConneX and Viasat Ka services, powered by its advanced Ka-band satellite network.
“Research indicates that traditional speed-based plans are now outdated, especially those that advertise a top-speed without details around when, where and how frequently it will be achieved,” D’Amico explained. “The industry has broadened its focus to the overall experience. Viasat’s latest business aviation inflight connectivity survey found reliability, coverage, consistency, value for money and overall experience were deemed more important than fast speeds alone. To that end we introduced JetXP enhancement program, delivering enhanced performance with expanded capacity, increased network prioritization, and uncapped speeds on select plans, resulting in more reliable, consistent, and responsive WiFi for activities like video conferencing, large file transfers, and streaming content.”
Owens agrees. “Connectivity has advanced significantly; it’s now faster and far more reliable,” he says. ‘High-speed satellite Internet using Ka-band and Ku-band technology allows for seamless communication throughout the journey. Today, passengers can sync their devices with onboard systems for entertainment or document sharing.”
Chapman Freeborn sees connectivity as a key to innovation, competitiveness and service excellence and recently partnered with Gogo to further enhance its ability to provide high-speed, uninterrupted WiFi access across the fleet.
Security a Major Issue
Business aviation has always been seen as a major security tool, eliminating the prying eyes on commercial flights, says Owens, adding, “Security is a top priority. All clients benefit from discretion, with strict confidentiality, especially for high-profile passengers. There are no public flight schedules, and some aircraft cannot be tracked. Onboard WiFi networks are secure, ensuring safe communication.”
But now cybersecurity is a key component given the number of cyberattacks Satcom Direct has historically tracked over the years. “With the increased data transmission, comes an increased risk,” Christensen cautions. “Altitude does not make you safe. If you can see the Internet, it can see you, unless cybersecurity protocols are in place. Bad actors or malevolent hackers are intent on trying to obtain information through phishing, fake texts (smishing) and voice-generated AI known as ‘vishing.’ Personal, commercial or general disruption are all high on their agendas on the ground or in the air. Methods from social engineering attacks to theft of passwords and credentials, to spam, malware, ransomware and more can all happen in the sky,” he says.
Cybersecurity is often perceived as an abstract concept, Christensen says, adding that it incorporates physical security, data security, monitoring, risk management, and education across multiple departments. “Cyber awareness, vigilance and education need to be highlighted within organizations, and operators must take up the challenge of educating their staff, suppliers and passengers,” he advises. “Business aviation operates via an extensive supply chain network and, as such, airports, FBOs, trip planners, fuel management systems, caterers etc. should all be vetted for cybersecurity protocols. The right technologies, policies, procedures, and controls to implement solid security management systems are vital. The inflight connectivity must be paired with a robust, secure ground infrastructure that can support secure connectivity solutions.”
It is also important to know that vulnerable devices include not only personal computers and tablets but phones, D’Amico warns. “Connecting personal devices without proper security measures also poses a risk,” he says. “Viasat addresses these concerns by offering robust security features across our business aviation inflight connectivity services, prioritizing data protection and network integrity. Our multi-layered approach employs cybersecurity protection and tactical networking, filtering network traffic and blocking unauthorized access. This protection is further enhanced by our service partners front end cybersecurity protocols delivering end-to-end secure connection with the most advanced tools to mitigate any potential threats.”
While connectivity is now inevitably better, it is more complex, with more considerations for travelers and corporate travel managers to take into account. Even so, working with a valued operating partner can help the travel manager navigate the landscape to ensure their passengers have what they need and are secure in the process.
