Gogo, a Chicago-based inflight internet provider to business aircraft and airline passengers, plans to furlough about 60% of its workforce and reduce pay for most other employees as part of a plan to reduce costs due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Awaiting guidance from public health authorities, the FAA considered closing the first U.S. air traffic control (ATC) facility affected by the coronavirus for two weeks to prevent the pathogen from spreading, according to the head of the controllers’ union.
Customers are still taking delivery of the business jets they have ordered, but new sales have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and will take time to recover, according to the head of Brazilian manufacturer Embraer’s private jet business.
Textron Aviation has delivered two Cessna Citation Latitude midsize business jets configured for flight inspection missions to Kanematsu Corp., owned by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.
Italy’s Piaggio Aero Industries and Piaggio Aviation have again extended the deadline for parties to submit expressions of interest to purchase the businesses, which have been operating under extraordinary administration under the Piaggio Aerospace brand.
North American companies involved in building and operating small drones are proposing systems that could potentially be used in battling the COVID-19 pandemic.
Business jet results in the first quarter of 2020 have been “hammered by COVID-19,” and results could worsen in the second quarter before a potential recovery in the second half of the year, Cowen analyst Cai von Rumohr wrote in a note to investors.
