Gogo Partners with Apigee to Expand In-Flight Apps

With the growing acceptance of Wi-Fi use on airplanes, GoGo aircraft communications service provider plans to expand its offerings with a platform that enables airlines and developers to create new apps and in-flight experiences for passengers.

The company has partnered with Apigee, a digital acceleration platform developer, to offer APIs that will help third parties develop mobile apps for airline passengers and crew members. The Gogo Platform will provide access to a custom developer portal powered by Apigee, where users can access the company’s APIs such as gogoFlightInfo, gogoAuthCustomer and gogoPurchase.

"Gogo is committed to using our in-flight platform to create new and engaging experiences for flying on Gogo equipped aircraft, whether that's for passengers or crew," said Ash ElDifrawi, Gogo's chief commercial officer. "Apigee is the leader in API technology, and we believe that this partnership will open new doors and allow us to effectively work with partners to quickly deliver innovative and engaging apps to airline customers."

The Gogo APIs are already in use by developers, who have created apps such as a networking system for business travelers in the air as well as a location app that enables family and friends to track planes.

"A healthy developer community and a diverse partner ecosystem is a sign of a thriving enterprise and a leading indicator of digital success," said Ed Anuff, Apigee vice president of product strategy. "Gogo has turned to Apigee to help build a platform that delivers the power and flexibility to enable third-party app development at scale, for both mobile and operational applications."

Gogo offers products and services to airline passengers who can use Wi-Fi enabled devices to get online on more than 2,000 Gogo equipped commercial aircraft. The company’s in-flight services are offered on flights from Aeromexico, American Airlines, Air Canada, AirTran Airways, Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Japan Airlines, United Airlines, US Airways and Virgin America. In-flight entertainment partners include Aeromexico, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Japan Airlines, Scoot and US Airways.

In addition to its commercial airline business, Gogo reports that the company has more than 6,300 business aircraft outfitted with its communications services.