Collins Aerospace Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), is teaming with SES to bring business aviation customers the fastest broadband speeds available within the United States — the two companies are launching LuxStream, the only service that offers speeds up to 25 Mbps in the United States and 15 Mbps globally via SES’s managed Ku-band satellite network.
Vista Global — providing worldwide business flight services with a fleet of 116 owned aircraft and access to 1,500 jets globally — will be the launch customer for this new system. Collins Aerospace will deliver the LuxStream service, as well as its new Collins Aerospace Cabin Router, on Vista Global’s fleet of aircraft for both of its brands — VistaJet and XO — starting with the company’s 36 Global business jets under VistaJet, the group’s leading brand and only global business aviation company. The higher bandwidth of the LuxStream service will enable more VistaJet Members to use more devices and more apps simultaneously while flying anywhere in the world.
LeAnn Ridgeway, VP and GM, Information Management Services for Collins Aerospace, reported that in-flight connectivity is often cited by operators as the most important experience to provide on board, especially for long-range flights. By working with SES to bring LuxStream to the business aviation segment, the company is meeting that need by providing speeds and services that are unparalleled in the industry.
JP Hemingway, the CEO of SES Networks, noted that LuxStream is the result of a great collaboration between SES and Collins Aerospace, and the company is very excited to build on the firm's leading position in inflight connectivity to deliver a premium service for the business aviation segment. LuxStream is powered by SES’s global geostationary high-throughput and wide satellite beams, as well as a flexible, intelligent ground network. Its performance has been validated extensively with a large number of passengers who were able to easily access the internet and stream entertainment content to their personal devices at 25Mbps.
“We place our members at the center of all we do to ensure they feel at home while they’re on board. Even at 45,000 feet, connectivity is key for business owners to continue working efficiently or families to keep in touch and unwind during their flight,” said Thomas Flohr, Founder and Chairman of Vista Global. “LuxStream will provide all our Members with that exceptional and consistent experience that Vista Global and its brands are known for. This investment is another testimony of our global industry leadership”
This new solution, available as part of Collins Aerospace’s ARINCDirect portfolio of services, will provide both VistaJet and XO with additional benefits including:
High-quality bandwidth capable of supporting multiple streams of ultra-high-definition content, all while fellow passengers are concurrently running other apps
Flexible pricing models to meet the aircraft’s mission — whether they fly daily, weekly or less frequently
An always-on service enabled by the redundancy and resiliency offered by SES satellites
A turn-key solution with both hardware and service provided by Collins Aerospace, giving the operator one point of contact and access to Collins’ industry-leading global support services
