Intelsat Retires Gogo Brand for In-Flight Connectivity Services

Photo: Via Satellite/Freepik.com/Wavebreak Media

Intelsat is dropping the name Gogo from the Commercial Aviation division that it retired last year, the company announced July 13. 

Intelsat announced the move to acquire Gogo’s Commercial Aviation division in August 2020, and the $400 million cash deal closed in December 2020 after it was approved by Intelsat’s bankruptcy court and creditors. The satellite operator is still undergoing Chapter 11 reorganization. Gogo is still a publicly traded company and is developing a 5G network for business aviation customers. 

John Wade, former Gogo president of Commercial Aviation, continues to lead Intelsat’s Commercial Aviation business division as president. 

“Our company is known for its flexibility and commitment to exceptional customer service, and we’re always innovating new models aimed at helping airlines identify the right distribution strategy to meet their unique needs,” Wade commented. “We do more than talk a good game; Intelsat’s superior customer experience is backed by meaningful and easy-to-understand SLAs [service level agreements] that commercial airlines can trust to meet their passenger experience needs.” 

The In-Flight Connectivity (IFC) acquisition paid off in Intelsat’s first quarter 2021 financial results, giving the company its first year-over-year double-digit revenue increase in at least eight years.The satellite operator’s Q1 2021 revenues were $502.8 million — an increase of 10% from the same quarter in the year prior. Commercial Aviation is part of the Network Services division, which delivered $214 million in Q1 revenue. This represents a 43% year-over-year increase for the division and made Network Services Intelsat’s largest and most profitable business unit for the quarter surpassing the Media unit.