Charles Alcock is managing editor of the AIN Media Group, having rejoined the company in 2019. He has been an aviation journalist since 1986, and previously worked for AIN from 1990 to 2017, most recently as editor-in-chief. His main focus is on covering new aviation technology and business models, as well as international news.
Having been raised in the London area, Alcock studied at the University of Manchester in the UK and earned an honors degree in Politics and Modern History. He speaks English and French, and some German.

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

MySky is introducing a new version of its aircraft scheduling software specifically developed for Part 91 business aircraft operators. The spend management specialist already offers the platform for Part 135 commercial operators and has now adapted it for those operating flights for purely private and corporate purposes.
"Scheduler" was originally developed by Satcom Direct (SD), which has had a strategic partnership with MySky. With Gogo set to acquire SD, MySky has acquired its scheduling platform.
According to MySky, it will now integrate the Scheduler software with multiple avionics suites to gather post-flight data from flight management systems. It said this improves operational efficiency and avoids inaccurate information being used due to errors with manual data entry.
Scheduler is intended to be used in tandem with MySky’s financial services software, including Spend, Quote, Budget, Tax, and Procure. These are collectively intended to help operators have far more effective control of expenditure, with greater visibility of costs and how these play into revenue opportunities. For instance, the company said that its Quote system can forecast the exact operating costs for a requested flight with an accuracy of 95%.
“Currently [in the business aviation sector], operations and accounting are siloed from each other and they have to be reconciled, in part because often data entry doesn’t get validated,” Jean-Sebastien de Looz, MySky’s head of Americas, told AIN. “You wouldn’t do your accounting using scheduling software, so why would you manage your operations in QuickBooks?”
Since the Scheduler program was originally developed to a very high specification for mainly Fortune 500 companies and using open architecture, de Looz maintained that it will deliver much higher levels of performance than lower-priced options available now.
“Aircraft owners now expect much more [cost] data instantly because they want to know exactly what you are charging them and why,” de Looz said. “With charter flying, there are lots of alternatives. Some clients got into this during Covid, and their expectations have not been met so they are leaving. Costs keep going up but charter rates haven’t changed and current rates don’t relate to actual costs.”
MySky now supports a customer base that includes more than 1,000 aircraft as well as manufacturers, aircraft brokers, and management companies. It has regional headquarters in Dubai and the New York City area.
Europe-based aircraft management and charter group Comlux has adopted the MySky platform to enhance its flight operations and financial oversight. A company spokeswoman told AIN the software has simplified its budget, forecasting, and financial reporting processes by providing real-time insights into operational costs.
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Satcom Direct

Gogo

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