ITASCA, Ill., Sept. 2 / PRNewswire / -- Aircell, the world's leading provider of inflight connectivity, today announced the appointment of Norman Smagley as the new Chief Financial Officer. Smagley joins the Itasca, Illinois based company September 7.
Smagley brings sixteen years of broad-based CFO experience across many industries, including technology, financial services, pharmaceutical, retail, industrial and publishing companies, ranging in size from Fortune 25 to pre-IPO. Smagley has operated as CFO within both public and private-equity owned companies and has successfully managed bank, Wall Street, rating agency, auditor and board relationships. Most recently, Norm was with Rand McNally as SVP & Chief Financial Officer.
"We are privileged to welcome Norman to our team," said Michael Small, President and CEO of Aircell. "Norm will consistently challenge and bring forth new ideas and recommendations as we enter the exciting next phase in our growth as a company."
Having just equipped their 1,000th plane, Aircell's Gogo Inflight Internet is now available on more than 3,800 flights daily, up from just 2,100 at this time last year. Roughly one-third of all mainline domestic aircraft now offer Gogo's Inflight Internet service.
With Gogo, passengers can browse the Web; access online music, games and podcasts; send and receive e-mail; and connect to virtual private networks while flying. The easy-to-use service provides passengers with full Internet access on any Wi-Fi-equipped laptop or personal electronic device at speeds similar to wireless mobile broadband services on the ground.
About Aircell
Aircell® is the world's leading provider of inflight connectivity. As winner of an exclusive FCC frequency license in 2006, Aircell has built a revolutionary mobile broadband network for commercial and business aviation. In 2008, the Aircell Network and its inflight portal, Gogo® , revolutionized the commercial airline passenger flight experience by delivering a robust Internet experience at 35,000 feet. In addition, the Aircell Network provides airlines with connectivity to operations and a path to enhanced cabin services such as video, audio, television and more. A similar feature set is available to Business aircraft operators. Aircell has facilities in Broomfield, Colorado, and Itasca, Illinois. Aircell's vision is to give everyone the ability to stay in touch, in flight® . For more information about Aircell, please visit www.aircell.com .
About Gogo
Gogo® , powered by Aircell, turns a commercial airplane into a Wi-Fi hotspot with true inflight Internet access. Passengers with Wi-Fi enabled devices, such as laptops, smartphones and PDAs, can surf the Web, check e-mail, instant message, access a corporate VPN and more. For more information about Gogo, please visit www.gogoinflight.com . You can also follow 'gogoInflight' on Twitter ( www.twitter.com/gogoinflight ) and Facebook ( www.facebook.com/gogoinflight ).