GoGo’s Answer to Starlink Goes Live

January 1st was the much-anticipated launch date for Eutelsat OneWeb’s low-earth-orbit satellite service, the connectivity provider for GoGo’s new Galileo inflight satellite wifi solution. Due to errors in accounting for the 366th day of the 2024 leap year, the service was slightly delayed on the 25th anniversary of the Y2K crisis. The issue was swiftly resolved, thankfully. GoGo has launched its HDX system, which boasts download speeds of up to 60 Mbps, and plans to launch its FDX system in Q2 of this year, advertising speeds of up to 195 Mbps downloads.

Sustainability Gets Simplified

The new AvfuelZero program promises to redefine sustainable aviation operations by simplifying the net-zero journey. It gives operators unmatched, direct access to innovative solutions like sustainable aviation fuel and carbon offsets. More than that, it demystifies sustainability by helping operators make sense of available sustainable solutions, including what they are and how they work together to help aviators achieve measurable goals.

The No Surprise Billing Act, 2 Years Later

Air ambulance providers are continuing to face the effects of the No Surprise Billing Act; a Vertical Magazine story this week highlighted issues like lengthy delays in reimbursements from insurers, difficulty staffing nurses and pilots, and a lack of focus on covering the fixed costs of the business exerting significant pressure on the industry. More rural hospitals going out of business or reducing services, only increasing transport needs; plus, “helicopters are not distributed using medically rational need criteria…providers have typically based aircraft in areas where they’re likely to maximize reimbursement leaving some areas [over or under supplied].” (Vertical)

4 More Years…of South Florida Flight Restrictions

The impending inauguration of Trump means operators should prepare for significant Presidential Temporary Flight Restrictions in the wider Palm Beach area. The FAA is holding an informational meeting next week for operators and has released new information on its TFR plans during the upcoming presidency. Operators and brokers should be prepared to send clients to other airports, as these TFRs can be announced as little as three days before they become effective. In addition to airport closures, operators will need to prepare for potential rerouting and other inconveniences for passengers.

G550 Strikes Metal Object at 27,000 Feet

A Gulfstream 550 had to divert its flight from FXE to HPN due to what appears to be an engine strike; the aircraft landed safely at PBI, but investigators are unsure what struck the plane. A whistleblower claims the object was not a bird strike due to the damage and that hobbyist drones and weather balloons are unlikely due to the altitude and a lack of transponders reporting in the area.

Two Bodies Discovered in JetBlue Wheel Well

“Though its most recent flight was from New York to Fort Lauderdale, the jet had been in both Kingston, Jamaica, and Salt Lake City, Utah, earlier on Monday, according to the flight tracking service FlightAware.com.” This is the second incident in the last month where individuals were discovered in the wheel wells of commercial aircraft; the first was a United flight that landed in Maui from Chicago. In an FAA study, these incidents occur one to twice a year and have a 76% fatality rate.