Bombardier has received European Aviation Safety Agency approval for retrofit of Ka-band high-speed Internet satcom equipment on Globals. The approval, which comes a year after Transport Canada certification, opens the door for European-registered operators to install Bombardier’s Wave (Wireless Access Virtually Everywhere) package on their Global aircraft.
Wave incorporates Inmarsat JetConnex broadband along with Honeywell JetWave satcom hardware. The Inmarsat Ka-band, which provides seamless Internet globally at speeds of up to 15 Mbps, officially went live in November for business aircraft, after being beta tested on Bombardier aircraft. Bombardier became the first business jet manufacturer to announce plans to offer the system as an option, and the first installation, on a Global 5000, was completed late last summer at the company’s Singapore center.
Zetta Jet, which operates a fleet of Globals, was the first customer to take delivery of the system from Bombardier.
“Ka-band is the latest example of Bombardier bringing brand-new technologies, something that you would have found only for installation in forward-fit aircraft in the past, back to its [existing] fleet,” said Jean-Christophe Gallagher, vice president and general manager, customer experience.
