AeroMech Incorporated announced on July 23 that it has received a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) authorizing the installation of Starlink’s high-speed satellite internet system on Cessna Caravan and Grand Caravan aircraft. The development, first disclosed through a company press release, marks a significant regulatory and commercial milestone in bringing reliable broadband to smaller regional and utility aircraft.
The FAA STC allows AeroMech to proceed with authorized installations through its network of Starlink Authorized Dealers, as well as through direct services provided by AMI Aviation Services—AeroMech’s wholly owned subsidiary. AMI, which operates FAA Part 145 repair stations in Orlando/Sanford (KSFB) and Nashville/Smyrna (KMQY), will oversee on-site installations for customers across the U.S. AeroMech has officially opened order intake for the Starlink STC equipment package for Cessna Caravan platforms and is now scheduling appointments at its maintenance facilities.
What does the FAA STC mean for Cessna Caravan operators?
This FAA approval gives operators of the Cessna Caravan and Grand Caravan a clear pathway to upgrade their fleets with Starlink’s inflight broadband connectivity. Designed for use on aircraft that often fly in underserved and remote regions, the integration of Starlink is expected to significantly improve passenger services and operational reliability for air carriers, charter services, humanitarian operators, and specialized logistics providers.
The Caravan and Grand Caravan series are known for their durability, short takeoff and landing capabilities, and low operating costs. They are widely used for regional routes, air ambulance missions, and cargo operations—especially in regions with limited terrestrial internet infrastructure. Starlink’s low-latency, high-bandwidth satellite system is uniquely suited to fill this digital void. With FAA certification now in place, AeroMech can offer a solution that supports data-heavy applications such as high-definition video conferencing, streaming, voice-over-IP, weather data integration, and operational telemetry.
The certified installation includes the Starlink Aviation Kit, which features a low-profile electronically steered phased-array antenna designed specifically for aircraft, along with power and connectivity interfaces customized for the Caravan’s electrical and avionics systems. Once installed, the system allows continuous connectivity throughout the flight envelope, even in regions beyond traditional radar and LTE coverage.
AeroMech expands its Starlink STC portfolio across general and business aviation
The Cessna Caravan approval builds on AeroMech’s broader strategy of positioning itself as a leader in certifying Starlink installations across a diverse range of aircraft categories. Prior to this announcement, the company had already secured FAA STCs for Starlink integration on the Beechcraft King Air 200/300 series and multiple Cessna Citation business jets, including the Excel, XLS, XLS+, XLS Gen2, X, X+, Sovereign, and Sovereign+ models.
These certifications represent hundreds of airframes in active global service and underscore the increasing demand for modern digital infrastructure in non-commercial aviation. According to AeroMech, the key to scaling this technology lies in reducing the complexity and downtime of installations, which it addresses through a combination of FAA-approved PMA installation kits and centralized retrofit support through AMI Aviation Services.
AeroMech’s in-house engineering and certification teams carry out extensive testing to ensure full regulatory compliance with FAA airworthiness requirements. This includes electromagnetic interference testing, structural integrity evaluations, and flight performance verification. The resulting STC packages allow operators and maintenance organizations to install Starlink systems with confidence and without the need for custom one-off approvals.
Why the Cessna Caravan platform is strategically important for connectivity expansion
The Cessna Caravan and Grand Caravan aircraft, manufactured by Textron Aviation, are among the most versatile and heavily utilized turboprops in the global fleet. With more than 2,500 units delivered worldwide, they serve a wide array of missions from regional passenger transport to law enforcement surveillance, aerial surveying, and freight delivery.
Their ability to operate on rugged airstrips and their extended endurance make them essential to regions such as Alaska, Sub-Saharan Africa, Northern Canada, and the Amazon basin—areas where conventional internet access is intermittent or non-existent. Starlink’s aviation solution, built on SpaceX’s constellation of over 6,000 low-Earth orbit satellites, brings broadband capability to these previously disconnected environments.
For Caravan operators flying long legs over terrain without cellular coverage, this can provide significant safety enhancements, such as continuous position tracking, live weather data streaming, and immediate medical telemetry uploads during medevac missions. It also opens new service models for passenger and VIP transport, where inflight connectivity is increasingly expected by clients.
The Grand Caravan EX, for example, which is capable of seating up to 14 passengers, is now positioned to offer the kind of connectivity that was previously reserved for larger regional jets or business aircraft. This democratization of airborne internet access may have implications for the broader market, particularly among charter operators and small regional carriers who can now differentiate their offerings through digital amenities.
How Starlink’s inflight service model supports AeroMech’s certification strategy
SpaceX launched Starlink Aviation in 2022, promising speeds up to 220 Mbps and latency as low as 20 milliseconds for aircraft in flight. The service is designed to accommodate both private and commercial aviation and includes hardware adapted for high-speed movement and fluctuating atmospheric conditions.
Starlink’s inflight internet is powered by a rapidly growing constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit, which enables broader coverage and faster handoffs between satellites than traditional geostationary providers. For aviation, this translates into seamless internet performance during taxi, climb, cruise, and descent—even at high latitudes or in equatorial zones traditionally underserved by satellite beams.
AeroMech’s role in this landscape is to facilitate FAA-certified access to the Starlink system, a task that involves not just hardware integration but full aircraft-level certification and documentation. By bundling PMA kits, engineering instructions, and support documentation into a standardized package, AeroMech reduces the workload for MROs and accelerates the time to service entry for operators.
The STC also ensures compliance with aircraft weight and balance limitations, electromagnetic compatibility with onboard avionics, and long-term maintenance traceability—factors critical to airworthiness and insurance.
What operators can expect next from AeroMech
With the FAA STC for the Caravan family now issued, AeroMech has opened up its order pipeline for operators looking to upgrade. The company is actively scheduling installations at AMI Aviation Services and expects to begin deliveries in the third quarter of 2025.
In addition to the U.S. market, AeroMech is expected to support validation pathways for international operators. While the company has not yet announced partnerships with foreign aviation authorities such as EASA or ANAC, its previous work on cross-border certifications suggests that expansion into Canada, Europe, and Latin America may follow.
Early customer inquiries have reportedly come from cargo operators seeking to integrate the Starlink system for real-time parcel tracking, air ambulance providers looking for continuous telemetry transmission, and air tour companies aiming to stream real-time footage or enhance customer communications.
The company may also extend its services to retrofit kits for Caravan operators using specialized mission equipment, such as ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) pods or weather sensors, where data connectivity is essential for rapid dissemination.
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