A lifelong aviation enthusiast who joined&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;in 2007, Curt came to&nbsp;the publication&nbsp;from the broadcast industry where he was a national science and technology television reporter and producer. He writes on the FBO field, aviation finance, and sustainable aviation and occasionally contributes to&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;sister publication&nbsp;Business Jet Traveler. Curt was a member of the AINtv reporting staff that won the 2008 Aerospace Journalist of the Year award for Best Airshow Daily. That same year, he was a finalist for another AJOYA award. He earned an AJOYA for Best Business Aviation Submission in 2018 and was a finalist in that category in 2021. He received the National Air Transportation Association’s&nbsp; Aviation Journalist Award in 2012 and won a Pegasus Sapphire Business Aviation Award for outstanding journalism in 2021.
Before joining AIN, Curt worked with&nbsp;Consumer Reports’ television division, CRTV, and for several local television news staffs. An honors graduate of the State University of New York at Stony Brook, he earned a master’s degree in broadcast journalism from Boston University in 1995. Curt lives in New York State with his wife and two young sons.

Business Aviation Services Editor

Curt Epstein

Collins Aerospace is a prominent aerospace and defense company specializing in the development and manufacture of advanced technology solutions. They offer a wide range of products and services, including avionics, aircraft interiors, mission systems, and space systems. 

Gulfstream designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and services business jet aircraft.

Gogo Business Aviation is a provider of in-flight broadband Internet service and other connectivity services for business aircraft.

Garmin firmly retained its top spot for overall average in the Flight Deck Avionics rankings of AIN’s Product Support Survey in 2025, as it has for the duration of the category over the past few decades.
Following the release of the results surrounding airframers in the August edition of AIN, part two of the Product Support Survey in this month’s edition deals with aircraft electronic systems: avionics, cabin management (CMS), and connectivity. Some of the OEMs, such as Honeywell, Collins Aerospace, and Garmin, are active in multiple arenas, while others, including Lufthansa Technik and Gogo, focus solely on one segment. OEMs Gulfstream and Textron Aviation are included in the survey due to their own branded CMS solutions.
In the Flight Deck Avionics group, Garmin topped the next closest entry by seven-tenths of a point despite changes to the AIN survey methodology that weighted more toward independent reviews.
The Airborne Connectivity market was roiled in late 2024 when Gogo acquired rival Satcom Direct, the latter of which was among the top scorers in the group this year with an overall score of 8.6 out of 10, three-tenths of a point above that of its new owner.
Under Cabin Management Systems, Gulfstream rose to the top of the list in this year’s results, with the Savannah, Georgia--based airframer’s overall average score of 8.0 barely edging out Collins Aerospace.
Across the maintenance landscape, shops are reporting a healthy average backlog of between three and six months. Though technician labor availability remains an issue in the industry, companies have noted that retention of their workershas now become at least as important as recruitment, with quality--of-life issues taking a larger role in employee satisfaction.
The supply-chain issues that hampered the entire industry in the aftermath of Covid seem to be sorting themselves out as OEMs work to provide defenses against future disruptions.
Malcolm Fleming, v-p of global technical operations at Honeywell Aerospace Technologies, highlighted the company’s aggressive approach to supply--chain strengthening.
“Honeywell’s year-on-year output growth on global supply chain [was] 19+% in 2024/18+% in 2025,” Fleming reported, noting a 9.2% year-over-year increase in Honeywell factory labor and 805 part numbers multi-sourced in 2024, with continued efforts in 2025.
“Production rates increased late last year and will continue to do so,” said Lor Izzard, Gulfstream’s senior v-p of customer support. “Gulfstream brought a great deal of third-party supplier work in-house years ago to take control of key elements in our supply chain to further ensure oversight of safety and quality measures.”

<h2>Garmin</h2>
With its 8.8 overall average score in Flight Deck Avionics for 2025, Garmin not only held on to its top spot in the category, but it also notched the highest scores in each of the individual ratings.
Of note, the Olathe, Kansas-based avionics and electronics company brought in high scores of 9.0 and 8.9 in cost-per-hour programs and parts availability. Even the cost of parts, which has dragged down most manufacturers’ scores throughout the AIN Product Support Survey results, came in at an 8.0 in Flight Deck Avionics. But leading the category was its overall avionics reliability rating with a score of 9.2—the highest across the equipment providers.
In fact, the only higher overall avionics reliability rating throughout the avionics survey was a 9.3 in the Airborne Connectivity category. This, too, was a Garmin score. This helped Garmin also keep its top spot in Airborne Connectivity with an overall average score of 9.0.
As it maintains these ratings, Garmin continues to build on its customer support activities, including launching an entirely new Garmin Aviation Training Academy that offers an expanded library of maintenance training videos and eLearning modules for dealers and authorized service centers.
The library makes its catalog more accessible to installers, the company said. Plans call to add more technical training, management, and recordkeeping resources for its dealers. As such, Garmin led the technical manual and technical representative ratings in the Flight Deck Avionics category with scores of 8.8 and 8.7, respectively.
In addition, the company expanded its self-service customer support options with more articles in its frequently asked questions database located in the Aviation Support Center on its website.
To attend to all of this, Garmin created a support team specializing in database management, which it said has reduced wait times for customer inquiries and freed resources to improve response times for customers needing product-­specific assistance. The company also added video chat capability, which is making troubleshooting more efficient and accurate—particularly with more complicated product concerns.

<h2>Collins Aerospace</h2>
Collins Aerospace maintained its second-place position in Flight Deck Avionics with an 8.1 overall rating, while also finishing second in the Cabin Management Systems group with a 7.9 score and third in the Airborne Connectivity with an 8.4 rating.
The avionics manufacturer’s strongest performance came in the connectivity category, where it scored particularly well in warranty fulfillment with an 8.9.
In the flight deck ratings, Collins demonstrated solid performance across most categories, with its highest marks coming in overall reliability at 8.8 and warranty fulfillment at 8.5. The company’s broad customer base was evident in the survey response volume, drawing more responses than any other manufacturer across all three categories measured.
Collins continues expanding its digital transformation initiatives with enhanced customer support tools and modernized avionics offerings. The company has invested heavily in streamlined processing systems that automatically aggregate customer data, create case files, and prioritize support requests to improve response times.
“Collins has continued to invest in more intelligent tools that expedite customer processing, requests, and response times,” said a company spokesperson. “These tools quickly and efficiently aggregate inbound data, automatically create case files, alert Collins support personnel to issues, and help prioritize cases.”
The deployment of these tools has improved visibility into case resolution, allowing the company to measure the impact of its processes more effectively and identify areas for improvement. Collins has also strengthened the integration between its support center and rental/exchange services, resulting in faster issue resolution for customers.
Beyond customer support infrastructure, Collins has been active in product modernization throughout 2025. The company launched comprehensive avionics upgrade programs for Beechcraft King Air and Hawker aircraft, spanning its Pro Line Fusion and Pro Line 21 systems. These upgrades advance aircraft performance and safety while equipping cockpits with technologies that reduce pilot workload and enhance situational awareness.
Collins also announced Pro Line 21 functionality upgrades for in-service Cessna Citation business jets, available beginning in the second half of 2025. The enhancements include controller-pilot datalink communications, ADS-B In weather information, enhanced connectivity, and wireless database uploads.
In the cabin management space, Collins delivered its upgraded Venue system equipped with new smart monitors and an enhanced graphical user interface. The system can integrate directly into a complete Venue installation or function as a standalone in-flight entertainment (IFE) solution, providing flexibility for operators ranging from very light jets to VVIP aircraft. Additionally, the company introduced its Airshow HD entertainment system integrated into Venue smart monitors, offering an all-in-one IFE solution without requiring a full cabin management system upgrade.

<h2>Honeywell</h2>
Honeywell showed mixed results across the three avionics categories in 2025, maintaining a 7.3 overall rating in Flight Deck Avionics while experiencing challenges in Cabin Management Systems, where it dropped to last place with a 6.9 score. The aerospace manufacturer finished last in Airborne Connectivity, with a 7.5 rating.
In Flight Deck Avionics, Honeywell’s strongest performance came in overall reliability with a 7.9 rating and warranty fulfillment at 7.9. However, the company struggled in cost-related categories, posting its lowest score of 5.6 in cost of parts. The substantial customer response volume across all categories—drawing hundreds of survey responses—demonstrates Honeywell’s broad installed base.
Honeywell has made substantial investments in supply-­chain improvements and digital infrastructure upgrades throughout 2025, addressing longstanding customer concerns about parts availability and technical support accessibility.
The company has made strides in improving its Spare Parts Exchange (SPEX) program quality. “[We] focused on improving the quality of our avionics Spare Parts Exchange by improving test procedures and repair procedures to decrease no faults found (NFF) and out-of-the-box failures,” explained Malcolm Fleming, Honeywell Aerospace Technologies’ v-p, global technical operations. “Preliminary 2025 data shows a 30% and 60% reduction in out-of-box failures and NFF, respectively.”
Fleming also reported improved delivery performance: “Overall SPEX ‘on time to request’ delivery performance increased to 92% in June, up from 86% in June of 2024.”
Digital integration has become a key focus area, with Honeywell implementing touchless order flow systems with OEM and channel partners to reduce repair and overhaul turnaround times. The company has also expanded its use of artificial intelligence to enhance customer service offerings. “Honeywell Aerospace Tech Support is using GenAI to provide recommendations on technical issues,” Fleming noted. “We introduced GenAI to help our AOG team process orders more effectively. The technology is used to scan incoming purchase orders and identify the best solution to get the right part to the customer the fastest.”
Beyond operational improvements, Honeywell has continued expanding its technology portfolio with product launches and partnerships throughout the past year. The company introduced its next-generation JetWave X satellite communication system, featuring a multi-network architecture and speeds exceeding 30 Mbps. Honeywell also strengthened its position in advanced air mobility through expanded partnerships with companies like Vertical Aerospace and Near Earth Autonomy, developing autonomous flight capabilities and next-generation avionics systems.
Despite these investments, Fleming acknowledged ongoing challenges: “The biggest challenges have been support chain and finding skilled aviation professionals such as field service engineers.” He noted that while supply-chain performance has improved over the past few years, “the biggest challenges are in the mechanical side of the business, but we are continuously investing in the ecosystem with the aim to improve it in the shortest possible time.”

<h2>Universal Avionics</h2>
Universal Avionics (UA) has continued to build out new technologies for training and customer support as it bolsters legacy programs with upgrade options.
The Tucson, Arizona-based subsidiary of Elbit Systems, which did not receive enough ratings for inclusion in this year’s AIN Product Support Survey—Avionics rankings, has rolled out upgrades to its retrofit InSight Flight Display System and ClearVision Enhanced Vision to add up to 20 years to an aircraft’s lifespan. These upgrades are part of a drive to modernize aging aircraft and overcome challenges with outdated avionics, according to UA CEO Dror Yahav.
As Universal looks to support legacy systems, it is futureproofing its own systems as it digitizes its technical publications and works to the S1000D standard for producing and distributing them. The company has also innovated with virtual reality to improve efficiency and costs for its dealers and end customers.
Meanwhile, UA has expanded on its training programs, including its online on-demand sessions accessed through the UA Academy that the company launched in 2020 at the height of the pandemic. These sessions come in addition to the hands-on training Universal provides at its Tucson center. Courseware at the academy is designed for pilots, technicians, and authorized dealers, covering topics such as flight management system end-user maintenance and return to service, among others.

<h2>Gulfstream</h2>
In the Cabin Management Systems category, Gulfstream scored the highest in this year’s AIN Product Support Survey with an overall rating of 8.0. The Savannah airframer earned its highest scores of 8.7 in the rankings of warranty fulfillment and technical representatives. It also led the category in AOG response (8.2) and tied for the top score in parts availability (7.8).
“Gulfstream’s continued cabin management modernization for the GIV-G550 focuses on a passenger-centric experience,” said Lor Izzard, senior v-p of customer support. “Designed with our customers in mind, we’ve integrated modern technology, advanced cabin management components, and intuitive controls to add convenience and cabin control options.”
The new wireless, switchless cabin feature simplifies the in-flight experience by giving passengers control of preferences and settings through their personal electronic device, through a 10-inch galley touchscreen, or via six core switches. It allows fewer control units to support a sleek, modern cabin design. For added flexibility, compatible switch panels can be installed at existing locations. The new design features USB ports at each personal switch panel, along with light and shade switches, which have been relocated to the side ledges for improved ergonomics.
“Connectivity remains an essential part of Gulfstream’s cabin experience, and we remain committed to delivering in-flight productivity, entertainment, and operational capabilities that transform the onboard experience for [our] operators worldwide,” Izzard told AIN. Over the past year, the manufacturer further developed its technology to provide its customers with more network options to support the best possible coverage, performance, redundancy, and service flexibility.
Gulfstream created in-production and retrofit-ready Starlink satcom solutions for its current large-cabin business jets and is expecting additional certifications for the G550 and G450 models later this year.
Gulfstream has also made progress in incorporating supplemental type certificates for the former Satcom Direct (now Gogo Business Aviation) Plane Simple Ka-band and Ku-band antenna, and advanced radomes for the GV, G550, G650, G500, G600, G700, and G800 twinjets, to provide more speed and data accessibility.

<h2>Lufthansa Technik</h2>
Lufthansa Technik (LHT) tallied an overall score of 7.7 this year for its cabin management systems (CMS) in this year’s AIN Product Support Survey. The company earned the highest rating in the category for its warranty fulfillment (8.4).
LHT reached a milestone over the past year with the delivery of its 2,000th Nice (networked integrated cabin equipment) CMS shipset. “With such a broad customer base, reliable customer support is key,” a company representative explained. “Thus, the past year saw an extension of our worldwide customer service network to a full 24/7 support.” It also installed additional customer support capacity to improve its global reach and availability across the various time zones of its broad customer base.
The Germany-based manufacturer noted, “One of the biggest challenges in modern cabin design is to embed technology without disrupting the elegance and luxury of the space.” During the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg in May, Lufthansa Technik showed off its new hidden touch displays that can be integrated seamlessly into cabin surfaces, along with its lightweight OmniFi speakers, which can be embedded into cabin walls and decorated with materials such as leather.
A recent addition to the Nice portfolio is an all-in-one cabin management system that incorporates multiple control functions into a compact unit that is suitable for simplified installation on smaller business aircraft.
LHT produces the majority of its electronic and mechanical IFE/CMS components in-house, on optimized production lines. That level of control is reflected in its category-leading score in cost of parts (6.9), and tying it for the lead in parts availability (7.8). “For the parts we do not produce internally, we have moreover optimized our worldwide sourcing strategy with the aim to include multiple suppliers,” the spokesperson told AIN. “The demand forecasting was also enhanced and is constantly shared with our supply-chain partners.”
The company increased its stock supplies and extended its proactive obsolescence management down to the raw material level.
On the fulfillment side, LHT worked to improve its supply chain with the installation of a flexible parts logistics network that now includes door-to-door service for AOG situations.

<h2>Textron Aviation</h2>
Textron Aviation did not receive enough responses this year for its scores to be listed in this year’s AIN Product Support Survey for cabin management systems.
“Textron Aviation proudly supports Beechcraft, Cessna, and Hawker customers throughout their ownership journey by continuing investments in connectivity and avionics upgrades based on customer feedback,” said Brian Adams, the company’s v-p of business operations and innovation. “As the original equipment manufacturer of the aircraft, [we] can offer OEM-certified upgrades to maintain the system’s integrity as originally certified.”
It recently announced an upgrade to the Caravan and Grand Caravan EX cabins, which will now come standard with eight USB-C charging units—each with two ports—providing 16 total charging points for passengers.
Among the major areas where the company has invested is in connectivity upgrades. “Staying connected has never been more important, and it’s one of the biggest priorities for our customers,” Adams told AIN. He noted that the OEM has expanded and enhanced its aftermarket connectivity options over the past year.
Gogo’s Galileo HDX service will be coming soon across most of the airframer’s Citation business jet portfolio, with FAA supplemental type certificate approval expected by the end of the year.
Starlink high-speed connectivity is now available through Textron Aviation service centers on many of its models, including the Cessna Caravan, Citation Sovereign, XLS, X, and Beechcraft King Air 200 and 300 series.
On the avionics side, to improve situational awareness and reduce pilot workload, XLS owners can now install the Garmin G5000 cockpit, while CJ2 operators can also upgrade to an all-Garmin solution through any of Textron’s global service network locations.

<h2>Gogo Business Aviation</h2>
With the acquisition of Satcom Direct by Gogo Business Aviation in late 2024, the combined business covers a gamut of airborne connectivity products from air-to-ground in the U.S. and Canada, geostationary satcom via the former Satcom Direct’s Plane Simple systems, and worldwide low-earth-orbit satcom coverage with Gogo Galileo.
The acquisition enables the companies to leverage each other’s service capabilities, creating an extensive network. However, since the acquisition did not conclude until late last year, Satcom Direct and Gogo were rated separately in the current survey, with the former posting a strong 8.6 overall average rating in the Airborne Connectivity category, second only to Garmin, and Gogo following not too far behind with an 8.3.
Satcom Direct tied with Garmin with a high score of 9.0 in warranty fulfillment and led all manufacturers in all categories of the avionics survey in technical reps with a 9.3. Gogo, meanwhile, garnered a strong 8.6 in parts availability and AOG response and 8.9s in warranty fulfillment and technical reps.
Gogo customer service teams are located at four sites: Dubai; Farnborough, UK; Melbourne, Florida; and Denver. This enables 24/7/365 full-service coverage, according to the company, “supported by ongoing infrastructure investment.”
Gogo has added to its training capability, supporting not only the airborne connectivity experience but also cybersecurity, which was a key focus of Satcom Direct. New training modules address “how AI is changing the cyber landscape,” including both the effects of malevolent actors and how AI can be used to prevent and mitigate cyber events, the company noted. Dealers can take advantage of master technician and installer courses, and aircraft operators and technicians are encouraged to take the Aero IT course pioneered by Satcom Direct, which has seen rapid growth in the last 12 months.
On the support side, the Premium 1:1 support team is helping new operators with Plane Simple Ku-band and Gogo Galileo HDX antennas. The HDX antenna can be installed on smaller aircraft such as light and midsize jets, which brings new users to the satcom connectivity market. All customers benefit from a single point of contact for technical issues, and in addition, access to cross-trained technicians and tools such as proactive data monitoring and live diagnostics for rapid fixes.
Often, issues are taken care of before the customer knows there is a problem. “With global support access and a team that is rarely more than 12 hours from a customer’s aircraft, Gogo remains committed to delivering always-on connectivity without restriction for enhanced value,” the company said.
Gogo has continued the annual Satcom Direct Connecting with Customers event, held this year near Gogo headquarters in Denver. Gogo is holding similar events in Singapore, London, and Basel, Switzerland. “Customers gather information about the latest connectivity topics and share skills and insights through workshops, presentations, and networking,” according to Gogo. “Breakout sessions offer the opportunity to garner professional credits, which enhances their career and helps raise industry standards.”

<h2>Viasat</h2>
Viasat did not receive enough user responses for its scores to be included in this year’s survey results. The biggest challenge facing airborne connectivity providers is keeping up with customer expectations, according to Viasat v-p of strategic market engagement Claudio D’Amico. “The industry is maturing beyond a simple focus on top-line speed,” he said. “Today, business jet principals and operators demand—and expect—a consistent and reliable overall experience, wherever and whenever they fly.”
That means connectivity hardware that always works and delivers dependable coverage and speeds. For Viasat, this shift to quality of experience led to the launch of JetXP service, which harmonized the company’s legacy services under a single brand and introduced flexible, experience-based plans with benefits such as uncapped speeds, network prioritization, and expanded capacity. “This allows owners and operators to define the connectivity experience they require, and we deliver it,” said D’Amico.
The company has also sought to provide continuous enhancements for in-service equipment with “minimal customer effort.” For example, Viasat extended coverage into the Middle East and South America for customers with its GAT 5510 terminal via an over-the-air software update, according to D’Amico. It also recently connected the terminal to the ViaSat-3 satellite, offering better connectivity performance for jets flying routes to/from Hawaii without any hardware or software changes.
When its connectivity hardware does need repairs, Viasat deepened its support through its partner ecosystem, including Collins Aerospace, Gogo, and Honeywell, to ensure that customers receive a “premium, white-glove service experience, backed by 24/7/365 global support.” D’Amico noted that “our research shows that high-quality, responsive support is a key priority for principals, and we are dedicated to leading the industry in this area.”
Meanwhile, Viasat is using artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve service through data intelligence, he said. In fact, Viasat has already deployed an AI analytics system that monitors global usage and demand patterns in near-real time. This allows the company to dynamically direct satellite capacity where and when it is needed most, optimizing the network to ensure a “seamless and reliable experience” for users.

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In this article

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