The top of the Gogo Galileo HDX installation.

The Gogo Galileo HDX antenna built by Hughes Network Systems completed a test flight on a Bombardier Challenger 300 aircraft connected to satellites in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO). Hughes announced the milestone for its antenna on Monday and reported a commercial aviation variant will be available from the company in the first half of 2025, using the same technology. 

The antenna is an electronically steered array (ESA) with a low profile, manufactured by Hughes in Germantown, Maryland. This demonstration comes after ground tests earlier this year. 

Gogo Galileo is the in-flight connectivity (IFC) solution for business aircraft that will operate on the Eutelsat OneWeb Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite network. Gogo sells IFC to the business aviation market after Intelsat purchased the company’s commercial aviation division in 2020. 

According to Gogo, the HDX antenna is designed to offer mean speeds of 57 Mbps and peak speeds up to 60 Mbps. According to the company, Gogo Galileo HDX has eight supplemental type certificate (STC) programs committed covering 5,318 aircraft, and another 21 STC agreements in process covering another 12,267 aircraft. Gogo plans to launch Gogo Galileo HDX in the fourth quarter. 

Reza Rasoulian, senior vice president of the aviation business unit at Hughes commented: “We’re thrilled to see Gogo Business Aviation validate our industry-leading technology and look forward to providing the business aviation sector with the solutions they need to offer an exceptional, reliable, and frustration-free in-flight entertainment and connectivity experience.”