In-flight connectivity
Options abound for turbine aircraft large and small
“Aviation doesn’t typically evolve super-fast,” says Jason Wissink, president of services and connectivity at Honeywell, whose Jetwave and Jetwave X high-speed internet systems have been installed on super-midsize and larger jets since 2015. “Satellite connectivity is kind of evolving at the pace of cellphones at this point.”
Compounding the challenge of choosing the best in-flight connectivity solution for an aircraft is that there is no one solution that works best for all aircraft and all connectivity needs. Three types of networks currently exist to provide most turbine aircraft internet connectivity while airborne: geostationary orbit (GEO) satellite networks with a high elliptical Earth orbit (such as those operated by Viasat), low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite networks (operated by Iridium, Starlink, and others), and air to ground (ATG) networks (operated by Gogo).
“GEO systems are very strong in streaming and things where you’re typically buffering a bit of content onto the airplane,” says Wissink. “LEO systems are very, very strong in what we call real-time applications, like video conferencing.” LEO satellites’ lower latency (the time it takes for data to travel from your device to the internet and back) is a result of their closer proximity to Earth; closer equals higher speeds. GEO satellites’ greater distance from Earth increases the potential for latency, and if an in-flight system does not have a consistent satellite connection video calls may drop or have poor resolution. Some customers install both systems, says Wissink, “so if one does have a dropout, you don’t notice anything at all because the second one’s already running.”
Because of the size and weight of their tail-mounted antenna systems, GEO installations can only be installed on larger jets. LEO installations, meanwhile, are rapidly gaining market share and their antenna systems are becoming more compact—enabling them to fit on more aircraft. Aviation market intelligence firm Valour Consultancy predicts LEO installations will equal GEO installations by the end of 2026.
“Connectivity over the years has moved from a nice-to-have to a must-have,” says Kai Tang, senior vice president and head of business aviation at Viasat. “We’ve certainly heard over the years that the value of the aircraft is sometimes driven by what connectivity—or if it has connectivity—is on board. Speed is not the thing that’s hard anymore. And it’s certainly not the thing that really dictates your overall experience. [Operators] recognize that what they value is not the speed, but the experience overall.”
Heather McGuire is a partner at Slate Aviation, which operates a fleet of Bombardier aircraft using Honeywell’s Jetwave X system. “We find that our customers, even if the Wi-Fi is down for 10 minutes on a flight, they’re emailing, they’re asking what’s going wrong,” she said. “So, [connectivity] is a really important part of the experience. And our customers just expect it. They want to be able to do everything they can do on the ground in the sky. And they really don’t have any tolerance for anything otherwise.”
A full list of in-flight connectivity solutions would be impossible to fit in this article, so we’ve included a small sampling of options designed for turbine aircraft—large and small. According to MRO-provider StandardAero, a Honeywell JetWave system and installation for super-midsize and larger jets is around $650,000, with monthly connectivity plans costing between $13,000 and $55,000.“Connectivity over the years has moved from a nice-to-have to a must-have.”—Kai Tang, senior vice president and head of business aviation at Viasat
Starlink, a division of SpaceX, has been a hot topic in general aviation recently owing to its relatively low-cost, portable Mini platform. Starlink satellites are low Earth orbit and boast impressive speed and low latency. The Mini antenna costs $299 and monthly service plans range from $50 to $165. Previously, the Starlink Mini supported in-motion use at speeds up to 471 knots, with monthly costs based on ranges of maximum speeds. However, the 471-knot speed limit was reduced to 391 knots on November 7, 2025. Speeds in excess of 391 knots now require a Starlink Aviation plan, along with a larger installed antenna, power supply, and router. Starlink Aviation service plans cost $10,000 per month for unlimited data, with hardware costs around $150,000 plus installation, according to Valour.
Gogo’s regional North American network is unique in that it uses 4G and 5G air-to-ground (ATG) systems (think cellphone towers, but with a system that can keep up with fast-moving aircraft). Gogo’s solution is appealing for smaller aircraft that cannot fit large or heavy satellite antennas. Gogo also offers a satellite connectivity solution using Galileo medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellites. Valour reports Gogo’s satellite antenna for smaller jets costs $120,000 and estimates Gogo ATG plans at around $3,500 and satellite plans between $800 and $2,000 per month.
A significantly more affordable alternative to full internet access is Airtext. Airtext allows up to 16 devices to send and receive text messages and emails and make phone calls using the Iridium satellite network and a compact device the size of a paperback book. AOPA has used Airtext for years and found it to be a low-cost, convenient, and reliable system. The cost for the system ranges from $4,950 to $18,500, depending on options, and you pay by the text, email, or phone call minutes.
As in-flight connectivity options continue to proliferate, future-proofing today’s buying decisions will continue to become more complex. “It’s become a much more complicated environment to make sure at the end of the day people can just get on the plane and connect—which is all they really care about,” Wissink said. “But in the background, there’s a lot of work between the operators, the manufacturers, the satellite providers to really make sure that we have everything orchestrated so that they can do what they want today; they can do what they want tomorrow. We’re trying to anticipate what’s going to continue to come because it is a very dynamic environment, especially for aviation.” 
