Geneva, Switzerland – May 16, 2011 – Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced today at the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition that it will offer Aircell’s Aviator 300 worldwide in-flight data system as an option on new Citation XLS+, Citation Sovereign and Citation X aircraft beginning in 2012.
The Aviator 300 system is a small, lightweight Inmarsat SwiftBroadband system that provides customers with connectivity speeds up to a maximum of 332 kbps — several times the speed of traditional 56k dialup service — and is compatible with wireless-equipped personal devices such as laptops, tablet devices, electronic flight bags and smartphones.
The system uses Inmarsat’s I-4 geostationary satellites, which offer global coverage, except in the polar regions. Major system components include a SwiftBroadband unit (SBU); a high-power, low-noise amplifier/diplexer (HLD); and a mechanically steered, teardrop-shaped, intermediate gain antenna mounted on top of the aircraft. In addition, Aircell’s Axxess II dual-channel Iridium satellite telephone system and its associated wireless cabin telecommunications router (CTR) must be installed. The 332 kbps maximum data rate is suitable for in-flight email access; light internet use; and corporate virtual private network (VPN) access.
Cessna plans to offer the system as a retrofit to existing Citations, though details are not yet available. Cessna already offers the optional Aircell Gogo Biz in-flight internet system for in-flight connectivity above the continental United States.
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About Cessna Aircraft Company
Cessna is the world's leading general aviation company, based on unit sales, with five major lines of business: Citation business jets, Caravan single-engine turboprops, Cessna single-engine piston aircraft, aftermarket services and lift solutions by CitationAir. In 2009, Cessna delivered 754 aircraft, including 289 Citation business jets, and reported revenues of about $3.3 billion. Since the company was originally established in 1927, more than 192,000 Cessna airplanes have been delivered around the world, including more than 6,000 Citations, making it the largest fleet of business jets in the world. More information about Cessna Aircraft Company is available at www.cessna.com.
About Textron Inc.
Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft Company, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, and Textron Systems. More information is available at www.textron.com.