L2 Aviation Receives FAA STC Approval for Honeywell JetWave Ka-band System Installations on Boeing 767
L2 Aviation, a provider in innovative avionics services and products, including engineering, parts, certification, installation and manufacturing, announces completion of an FAA-approved (Federal Aviation Administration) supplemental type certificate (STC) for the installation and operation of the Honeywell JetWave system in a Boeing 767 aircraft.
Honeywell’s JetWave is the exclusive hardware that enables air transport and regional aircraft to connect to Inmarsat’s Global Xpress Ka-band service, GX Aviation, the first consistent high-speed broadband service to span the world. As a result, passengers can enjoy best-in-class in-flight connectivity service with Wi-Fi speeds up to 50 Mbps.
Utilizing L2 Aviation’s engineering and design, kits were prepared at L2’s headquarters, and installers from L2’s Remote Avionics Modification Service (RAMS) team were able to mount a fuselage antenna on a Boeing 767 aircraft at the customer’s location. The unique elements of the design afford Boeing 767 aircraft operators to connect with Inmarsat's Ka-band GX Aviation satellite constellation, providing high-speed data transfer rates for passengers to enjoy continuous internet connection throughout the flight, including seamless streaming of ipTV content.
“This project required a huge design and certification effort,” says Kevin Paul, VP of Engineering Value Stream. “There are many instances in this program where things could have failed, and L2’s commitment to the project and our customer were tested. The global pandemic challenged our engineering team who had to adjust to remote collaboration. We had to find ways to perform remote witnessing of the certification effort that took place in the Middle East, and our RAMS teams had to overcome many integration hurdles. In the end, the system is operationally excellent.”
“People take for granted that Wi-Fi and internet access is just a part of the modern flying experience, but the truth is connecting an aircraft traveling at high speeds to a geosynchronous satellite constellation is very complex,” says Mark Lebovitz, founder and CEO of L2 Aviation. “Our team has the experience and skills to integrate and certify this extremely intricate system with a focus on continual performance that is seamless to the passengers. The best system is the one that nobody even knows is there and works flawlessly without any interaction to make it happen. The result exemplifies the potential of L2 Aviation’s teams to achieve amazing results no matter the complexity!”