Airshare Adds Gogo Galileo Satcom to Phenom 300 Fleet

Private aviation operator Airshare has selected the Gogo Galileo HDX satcom system for its fleet of Embraer Phenom 300s, with installations beginning in May at the company’s maintenance facility in Wichita.

According to the company, the decision followed a one-hour demonstration flight in which 23 devices connected eight passengers and two crew. This involved transferring more than 16 gigabytes of data while running multiple data-heavy applications simultaneously.

Powered by the Eutelsat OneWeb low-earth-orbit network, the Galileo HDX uses an electronically steered antenna rated at up to 60 Mbps. Gogo said the antenna adds minimal aerodynamic drag, is lightweight and compact, and requires little airframe modification to install.

“High-performance connectivity is no longer a nice-to-have,” commented Michael Skov Christensen, chief commercial officer of Gogo, adding that the technology is no longer limited to large-cabin aircraft. John Owen, CEO of Airshare, said the upgrade gives Phenom 300 passengers the same connectivity standard they would expect in an office or at home.

Airshare and Gogo have entered a multi-year agreement for low-earth-orbit broadband satellite internet services in the past. Airshare, a Kompass Kapital company headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas, operates more than 100 aircraft through aircraft management, fractional ownership, jet card, and charter programs. The company holds an IS-BAO Stage 3 registration and an Argus Platinum designation.