Brazil's TAM pioneers certified Galileo HDX installation

TAM Aviação Executiva has become the first company in Brazil to install the Gogo Galileo HDX connectivity system on an Embraer Phenom 300 using a certification developed and approved in-house.

The achievement gives the company a unique position in the Brazilian executive aviation market, extending its engineering and certification capabilities beyond its established maintenance and technical support activities.

The project was supported by a supplemental type certificate (STC) issued by Brazil’s Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil (ANAC). The approval authorises significant aircraft modifications while ensuring compliance with airworthiness, technical and safety requirements.

Developing the STC internally gives TAM Aviação Executiva ownership of the certification for the Phenom 300 installation, allowing other operators to acquire and use the approval for similar upgrades.

Wellington Amorim, director of the TAM Aviação Executiva service centre, says: “More than a technical achievement, the project demonstrates the integrated capacity of the entire TAM AE service centre, which acted in a coordinated manner from the conception of the solution to its regulatory approval, testing and final installation. The success of the result demonstrates the expertise and operational capacity of the team to conduct highly complex initiatives with efficiency, traceability and safety.”

The upgraded Phenom 300 is equipped with the Gogo Galileo HDX electronically scanned array antenna connected to a low-Earth-orbit satellite network. The system delivers speeds of up to 60 Mbps while maintaining a compact, lightweight and low-power profile suitable for a wide range of business aircraft.

TAM Aviação Executiva already holds approvals for Galileo HDX installations on several Cessna Citation models, including the CJ, Sovereign and Latitude families. The company says the technology improves onboard connectivity while helping passengers remain productive throughout flights.