US-based in-flight broadband internet provider Gogo Business Aviation has partnered with The Weather Company to help provide real-time turbulence reports and alerts directly to pilots, dispatch and other operations personnel.

With the aim of improving flight safety, the deal will see Gogo use The Weather Company’s patented Turbulence Auto PIREP System (TAPS) turbulence detection algorithm on their aircraft-based communications server.

The TAPS software will be deployed on Gogo’s server, which provides access to the data generated by the aircraft to create reports of turbulence intensity.

"Our ability to provide access to real-time data through our network will help pilots and operations teams improve flight planning."

Gogo said that its US-based air-to-ground and global satellite communication network is used to send the reports for instant action in flight operations and weather forecasting.

Gogo Business Aviation connected aircraft services vice-president Andrew Kemmetmueller said: "In this increasingly connected world, it’s no longer just about passenger connectivity, we have to consider all the other ways we can leverage the available technology to enhance the overall flight experience and improve safety such as a connected aircraft.

"Our ability to provide access to real-time data through our network will help pilots and operations teams improve flight planning, and ultimately, help airlines deliver the best in-flight customer experience throughout a flight."

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The company noted that each year, turbulence incidents cost airlines around $100m due to crew and passenger injuries, unscheduled maintenance, operational inefficiencies, as well as revenue lost while planes are out of service.

Studies have also revealed that aircraft encounters with turbulence are the main cause of non-fatal injuries in the commercial airline industry.

In the conventional method, flight operators, pilots and aviation meteorologists received coded verbal reports with limited information on flight conditions, also known as PIREPS.

Due to various reasons such as lack of cockpit data connectivity, pilots were unable to receive real-time updates.

With the Gogo network, pilots in the cockpit will now be able to access real-time turbulence reports and forecaster created alerts through The Weather Company’s flight planning and operations applications, including WSI Fusion and WSI Pilotbrief, as well as aircraft communication displays.