Demand for in-flight connectivity (IFC) by business jet operators remained high throughout the COVID pandemic and has only intensified post-pandemic, influenced by people’s expectation to be just as productive airborne as they are on the ground.

During the Connected Aviation Intelligence Summit earlier this month, NXTCOMM weighed in on key trends influencing connectivity in business aviation.

Steve Newell, CCO, NXTCOMM, discusses IFC demand in the business jet market. (Photo by Gedalia Vera)

Panel moderator Ric Peri, vice president, Government and Industry Affairs, Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA), observed that most avionics technology has historically originated with large aircraft. Technological advances in antenna design now are allowing for a smaller footprint itself. But the limiting factor has been the physical footprint of the antenna.

“LEO networks are making it happen. They are predicated on mobility and ever decreasing platform size for a more robust market -- the closer to the Earth, the higher the power. All those things provide smaller apertures to be used by smaller aircraft,” notes Steve Newell, chief commercial officer of NXTCOMM.

An electronically steerable antenna innovator, NXTCOMM is currently developing designs for general business and commercial aviation to support upcoming Ku- and Ka-band LEO networks.

Connected Business Jet panel participants at the Connected Aviation Intelligence Summit. (Photo by Gedalia Vera)

“At the end of the day, the other things that come into play that are equally as important are materials, specifically radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs) that allow ever-reduced form factors for chips, which has been occurring over the last two decades,” Newell explained. “Where the RFICs previously used multiple chips, now you only need one.”

This higher performance leads to cost efficiencies, which positively affects the antenna system overall and which has opened connectivity solutions to more markets, including business aviation, the NXTCOMM executive noted.

Newell said that the advances extend to Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs), where more sophisticated versions enable the finer details required for the higher bandwidth fragmented apertures.

“At the end of the day, technology has progressed to the point where compact electronic steered phased arrays will be affordable for the business aviation market,” he said, adding, “We think the horizons are bright for the future of connectivity across a wide domain of aircraft.”