Intelsat, operator of the world’s largest integrated satellite and terrestrial network and leading provider of inflight connectivity ,  announced Satcom Direct’s  Plane Simple advanced tail mount terminal for Intelsat’s inflight internet solution FlexExec, has confirmed its D160 approval. The achievement of the industry standard was announced at SD’s annual Connecting with Customers  2022 event taking place in Orlando this week.

The SD Plane Simple terminal, which has undergone over 250 trial flight hours, received DO-160 certification this week. This means the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) conducted extensive environmental testing, including heat, weight, weather, and vibration testing, officially confirming the terminal is approved for commercial use. The first in a series of Supplemental Type Certificates, (STC) is anticipated to be confirmed in March, with STCs for all major OEMs expected by the end of April.

Intelsat’s global, multi-layered, high-throughput satellite (HTS) network, combined with the advanced SD Plane Simple antenna system, meets the increased demand for secure, always-available inflight connectivity – ideal for VPN, video conferencing, streaming and uninterrupted access to cloud-based applications, enabling productivity at all altitudes. It also offers dedicated network capacity for data-hungry tasks, such as streaming and sharing large files.

“FlexExec, the preferred Ku-band satellite solution for the newly launched Plane Simple terminal raises the bar in the industry and ensures business aviation fliers have fast, reliable connectivity for every device and application onboard,” said Mark Rasmussen, Intelsat’s Senior Vice President of Mobility. “We understand that cost-effective access to a powerful and reliable connectivity solution throughout the inflight experience is a must-have, and demand will only increase. That’s why we are building the world’s first multi-orbit, software-defined 5G network that will enable a new wave of mobility services to keep pace with evolving expectations.”

“Launching our new Plane Simple Antenna System with FlexExec and rolling it out to customers worldwide introduces a new elevated standard for the business aviation connectivity experience,” said Jim Jensen, Founder and CEO of Satcom Direct. “This solution, designed for and dedicated to business aviation is an industry first and expands the possibilities for thousands of business jets. Owners and operators will benefit from the advantages of having customizable, flexible service packages, delivering high-speed broadband that is both rich in consistency and throughput.”

Business jet owners and operators worldwide who need ubiquitous, reliable broadband connectivity can have peace of mind that what they invest in today will support their evolving needs –extending the kind of connectivity expected at home and in the workplace to the sky.