• Commercial aviation connectivity STC by EASA validated for China
  • Certification paves way for inflight Wi-Fi speed similar to experience at home

Singapore. 11 August 2021. Honeywell MCS-8420 JetWave Satellite Communications System obtained the Validation of Supplemental Type Certificate (VSTC) by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), paving the way for airlines to enable a high-speed and consistent connectivity in the air. The joint approach of Honeywell and Lufthansa Technik made this type of satellite communication system available for a connectivity solution on the Airbus A320 fleet in China. This was also one of the first validations by CAAC of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) STC for commercial aviation connectivity, made possible by the China-EU Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA) between the government of the People’s Republic of China and the European Union.

The MCS-8420 JetWave Satellite Communications System is designed to connect to China’s Ka-band satellite network. This satellite communications installation enables high-speed Wi-Fi in the cabin for a better passenger connectivity experience. Additionally, it provides pilots with a better internet connection to support flight planning and management, which will help reduce fleet fuel costs, avoid aircraft delays and further enhance airlines’ competitiveness and profitability in the global aviation market. Honeywell is currently advancing the certificate of MCS-8420 JetWave satellite communication systems applicable to other aircraft models.

“In today’s society, the ability to stay connected during flight is becoming a common expectation. This makes the in-flight Wi-Fi service enabled by Honeywell JetWave Satellite Communication System an important differentiated competitive advantage,” said Steven Lien, president of Honeywell China and Aerospace Asia Pacific. “We noticed that digitalization was mentioned many times in China’s 14th Five-Year Plan. The exploration of new development opportunities through digital transformation has now become the focus of many airlines. This new VSTC for JetWave will greatly enhance Honeywell’s support for China’s in-flight high-speed satellite communications. This is also another exciting achievement Honeywell has made in digitalization. We look forward to continuing to work with our partners to explore the opportunities and support the digitalization of China’s aviation industry.”

The STC was validated by CAAC based on the Technical Implementation Procedures (TIP) for Airworthiness and Environmental Certification, a specification of BASA EU-China: It allows for initial and sub-sequent validations in a defined process, and therefore predictable time frame. “This represents a milestone in the cooperation of CAAC and EASA in the field of commercial aviation connectivity, made possible by the China-EU Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA). Based on a very light design and more than 300 installations, we can support very fast installations in less than 4 days and high maintenance inspection intervals; together offering very low and competitive operational costs to the airlines,” said Lukas Bucher, Head of Connectivity Solutions at Lufthansa Technik.

Honeywell’s JetWave Satellite Communications System has a speed of up to 180mbps, enabling seamless access to Ka-band in-flight connection to internet globally. In November 2019, Honeywell Boeing 757 Connected Aircraft, equipped with the MCS-8420 JetWave Satellite Communications System, completed its ground and flight tests in China. Click JetWave High-Speed Satellite Communications System for more details.