Back in April of 2023, I expressed some potential issues about the future of Starlink’s business model for Business aviation. In the months that have followed, however, Starlink has gone out of their way to address many of these issues. Some of these updates were noted by Pro Star at the 2023 NBAA BACE, held in Las Vegas. Now, nearly a year later, Starlink’s future in Business Aviation looks very promising, and they are poised to change the face of In-Flight Connectivity (IFC) as we know it.

One of the primary concerns expressed in April was that I did not see a direct-to-consumer model, similar to Tesla, working in the field of Business aviation. This is something that Starlink seeming has come to agree with, as they have now moved away from this concept. In its place, Starlink has started a dealer network, of which Pro Star is one of the very first dealers. The dealer network will provide the hardware and the installation for Starlink equipment. So, while consumers may still purchase the equipment directly from Starlink and install it themselves, most customers will undoubtedly use the dealer network to get Starlink installed. This also takes care of my concerns about consumer expectations, as this model now enables the customer to deal with people that they’re comfortable with, which adds validity to the installation process.

Another concern I raised was about the FAA installation approval process. This, too, has been addressed. To ensure that FAA regulations are being compiled with, Starlink is working through a couple of certification partners. These partners will be conducting all of the FAA approvals (STC’s) for the various aircraft types.

Last year, I also expressed hesitation about the installation and operational costs. Back in April, the installation costs had not yet been defined by Starlink, while the monthly service fees ranged from $12,500-$25,000. Now, because they are working through a dealer network, Starlink will let the customer’s solicit proposals from the Dealer’s like virtually all other avionics manufacturers. This is a departure from my skepticism, which was primarily based in a direct-to-consumer model. Additionally, Starlink has lowered the unlimited pricing to $10,000 per month and created a “Pay As You Go” model that starts at $2,000 per month

Technical support after the initial installation was another worry I raised in April. While this issue has not been entirely clarified, Starlink has taken steps to simplify this process through the dealer network. Part of the dealer agreement is that accepted dealers will provide installation and warranty support for the aircraft, which helps to take care of post-installation support. In this respect, new dealers are compelled to have a larger role in the partnership, which will be important moving forward.

While my big concerns have been addressed over the past 10 months, the strengths that Starlink had in April still remain. In my entire career, I’ve never seen something that has generated as much interest as Starlink Aviation. Consumers are asking for this product by name, which separates its revolutionary quality from something like GPS. When GPS first came onto the scene, there were at least a dozen OEMs offering GPS solutions. While Starlink certainly has competition, Starlink is the only one being specifically asked for by the principals and passengers. In this way, it is comparable to the release of the first iPhone in 2007. While there were other cell phones around, there was nothing that had the capabilities or the name recognition of the iPhone.

This encouragement, combined with their commitment to address certain issues expressed within the field of aviation, we are profoundly excited to begin our relationship with Starlink. In fact, this dealership has resulted in a single week of sales for Pro Star that has exceeded anything else I have experienced in the past 25 years. This is, of course, extremely encouraging. Starlink has come a long way since April, and we can’t wait to see how they continue to grow and change as the years go on.