FAA certifies Gogo Galileo HDX for Citation Longitude and Latitude

Flying Magazine reported on Thursday that the FAA has certified Gogo's Galileo HDX low-Earth orbit connectivity solution for factory-new Cessna Citation Longitude and Citation Latitude business jets.

Citation Longitude and Latitude models delivered starting in 2028 will be eligible for no-charge installation of the Galileo HDX system. Textron Aviation said it is the first OEM to offer the integration to customers free of charge. Customers who opt for the connectivity solution will also receive a preferred worldwide service rate, guaranteed for three years.

The integration includes a fuselage-mounted antenna that Textron said will make the solution easier to install than alternatives on the market. Galileo HDX is designed to offer online access in just about any location globally. Christopher Moore, CEO of Gogo, said that customers will benefit from high-performance connectivity alongside cybersecurity and data privacy protections, as well as round-the-clock customer support. Moore added that if needed, Gogo technicians could arrive on the tarmac within 24 hours to resolve any issues.

Chris Hearne, senior vice president of engineering and programmes for Textron Aviation, said "In order to stay productive wherever they fly, our customers rely on connectivity, and they're looking for solutions that perform reliably around the world."

Starlink and next-generation safety features

Textron is also adding SpaceX Starlink connectivity to certain jets via supplemental type certification. The company announced Starlink availability for the Citation X and X+ in March 2025, for the Citation Longitude in October 2025, and for the Citation Ascend in April 2026. STCs for the Hawker 700, 800 and 900 series were announced in September.

In addition to connectivity improvements, Textron's three next-generation Citation light jets—the CJ4 Gen3, CJ3 Gen3 and M2 Gen3—will be the company's first to come factory-equipped with Garmin Autothrottle and Emergency Autoland. Autoland has seen just one recorded real-world activation, but it successfully passed that test.