AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2019 - 41

INDUSTRY NEWS

Boeing acquires ForeFlight
EFB app manufacturer continues success
BY THOMAS B. HAINES

THE CO-FOUNDER OF FOREFLIGHT says the
breakneck pace of enhancements to the
flight planning app will not change now
that his company is owned by Boeing. The
airliner manufacturer acquired Houstonbased ForeFlight in March. ForeFlight is
believed to be the largest player in the electronic flight bag app business.
The company teamed with Boeingowned Jeppesen in 2016 to incorporate
Jeppesen terminal and en route charts as
an option in ForeFlight. ForeFlight was
also working with Jeppesen's FliteDeck
Pro app team to bring new features to that
product. Ken Sain, Boeing vice president of

digital solutions and analytics, said, "We are
excited to build on ForeFlight's tremendous
success in personal, business, and defense
aviation so we can provide next-generation,
integrated tools to our aviation customers today. This acquisition also expands
Boeing's rapidly growing, unparalleled digital services portfolio which will enable us to
compete and win in the $2.8 trillion, 10-year
services market."
ForeFlight was founded in 2007 when
general aviation pilots Tyson Weihs and
Jason Miller developed a weather planning service for the first generation of Apple
iPhone. When the next iPhone model could

handle apps, the team expanded the capabilities into flight planning. When the iPad
came about in 2010, the product sprouted
IFR and VFR chart overlays and other features. Today, the app integrates weather and
preflight planning with a moving map and
overlays a variety of additional resources
for GA, business aviation, the military, and
the airlines. In addition to the mobile app
for Apple iOS products, the company offers
a free online flight planner that integrates
with the app. Subscription price points in
the GA world vary between $100 and $300
annually, depending on features selected.
Weihs said the relationship with
Boeing developed over many years,
and ultimately the two companies
decided that the acquisition was the best
move. "It's a great opportunity for us and
the team. We couldn't be more thrilled to
be working with Boeing on the next leg of
our flight," Weihs said.
EMAIL thomas.haines@aopa.org

www.aopa.org/pilot/boeingforeflight

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AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2019

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