PlaneSense will equip its entire 71-aircraft Pilatus fleet with Gogo Galileo satellite Wi-Fi, extending the low-Earth-orbit connectivity system across 51 PC-12 turboprops and 20 PC-24 business jets. The Portsmouth, New Hampshire-based fractional aircraft operator expects installations to be completed by the end of 2027, with the first equipped PC-24 due for delivery in late October and PC-12 installations beginning in November.
Retrofits of existing PC-24s will start alongside delivery of the first new aircraft. Subsequent PC-24s will receive Galileo at the Pilatus factory, while the existing PC-12 and PC-24 fleets will be modified with Gogo’s compact, half-duplex electronically steered HDX antenna.
The system uses Eutelsat OneWeb’s LEO satellite network. Gogo lists maximum download and upload speeds of 60 Mbps and 11 Mbps, respectively, and designed the antenna to be lightweight, aerodynamic and low power. PlaneSense selected the system after testing its ability to support multiple passengers simultaneously on video streaming, video meetings and other connected services.
The deployment will extend LEO broadband beyond larger-cabin business aircraft to a mixed fleet of light turboprops and jets. PlaneSense also expects remote software updates to support future system improvements. The agreement does not disclose its value, installation costs or operational performance data beyond the stated system capabilities.