SmartSky, provider of inflight air-to-ground (ATG) connectivity system for business aviation, has received another Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for its SmartSky LITE system on Cessna Citation 525B models encompassing the CJ3, CJ3+ and the award-winning CJ3 Gen2, manufactured by Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. company.
The install package is available now for the CJ3+ with the CJ3 and CJ3 Gen2 revisions coming soon.
Both SmartSky LITE and the Citation CJ3 Gen2 are 2024 recipients of Robb Report Best of the Best in Aviation awards, with SmartSky named the first-ever winner for best cabin connectivity and the Citation CJ3 Gen 2 named best light jet.
The certification brings capability for streaming-level in-flight Wi-Fi performance to the more than 270 in-service aircraft in the series for the first time.
The engineering for the first article installation on a CJ3+ was provided by Liberty Partners of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, and installed at the Textron Aviation Service Centre in Wichita, Kansas.
As part of a previously announced agreement encompassing more than a dozen Textron Aviation aircraft models, the ownership of the STC will be transferred to Textron Aviation.
Installations may be completed at Textron Aviation Service Centres or by an authorized SmartSky dealer.
David Helfgott, SmartSky CEO said: “This iconic series of aircraft are known for their performance in the sky.
“It’s only fitting that both the Citation CJ3 and SmartSky are Robb Report Best of the Best winners, further highlighting the value of this pairing.
“The owner and pilot of the aircraft has told us they are beyond pleased with the real-time communications for cockpit applications along with business and leisure tasks,”