UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Filed by the Registrant  ☒                             Filed by a Party other than the Registrant  ☐

Check the appropriate box:

GOGO INC.

(Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

GOGO INC.

111 N. Canal St., Suite 1500

Chicago, Illinois 60606

March 26, 2020

Dear Stockholder:

You are cordially invited to attend the annual meeting of stockholders of Gogo Inc., to be held on April 29, 2020, at 9:00 a.m. Central Time. Due to concerns regarding the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic and to protect the health and safety of our employees and stockholders, the annual meeting will be a virtual meeting conducted solely online and can be attended by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/GOGO2020. All holders of our outstanding common shares as of the close of business on March 3, 2020 are entitled to vote at the meeting. To participate in the annual meeting you will need the control number located on your proxy card or the instructions that accompanied your proxy materials.

Your vote is important. Whether you plan to virtually attend the annual meeting or not, you may access electronic voting via the Internet, which is described on your enclosed proxy card, or you may sign, date and return the proxy card in the envelope provided.

Details of the business to be conducted at the annual meeting are given in the notice of annual meeting of stockholders and the proxy statement.

The Securities and Exchange Commission rules allow issuers to furnish proxy materials to stockholders in one of two ways; the “full set delivery” option or the notice only option. We have elected to use the “full set delivery” option, meaning we will deliver paper copies of all proxy materials to each stockholder, as well as provide access to such proxy materials on the Internet. Beginning on March 26, 2020, stockholders may access and print our proxy materials at www.proxyvote.com using the control number located on each proxy card.

On behalf of the board of directors, I want to thank you for your support of Gogo.

Sincerely,

Oakleigh Thorne

Chief Executive Officer and President

GOGO INC.

111 N. Canal St., Suite 1500

Chicago, Illinois 60606

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

TO BE HELD ON APRIL 29, 2020

To the Stockholders of Gogo Inc.:

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the annual meeting of stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) of Gogo Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Gogo” or the “Company”), will be held virtually on April 29, 2020, at 9:00 a.m. Central Time, at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/GOGO2020 for the following purposes:

Due to concerns regarding the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic and to protect the health and safety of our employees and stockholders, the Annual Meeting will be a virtual meeting conducted solely on-line and can be attended by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/GOGO2020.

Our board of directors has fixed the close of business on March 3, 2020 as the record date for determining holders of our common stock entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting.

Our board of directors recommends that you vote FOR the election of each of the director nominees named in Proposal No. 1 of the proxy statement, FOR the approval of executive compensation as described in Proposal No. 2 of the proxy statement, FOR the approval of an amendment to the Gogo Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan as described in Proposal No. 3 of the proxy statement, FOR the approval of a stock option exchange program

as described in Proposal No. 4 of the proxy statement and FOR the ratification of the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm as described in Proposal No. 5 of the proxy statement.

For our Annual Meeting, we have elected to use the “full set delivery” option to provide our proxy materials to stockholders. Consequently, we will deliver all proxy materials to our stockholders by mail, as well as provide access to such proxy materials on the Internet at www.proxyvote.com, which may be accessed using the control number located on each proxy card.

You are cordially invited to virtually attend the Annual Meeting. You are urged to mark, date and sign your proxy card and return it by mail or follow the alternative voting procedures described in this proxy statement or the proxy card.

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Marguerite M. Elias

Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

Chicago, Illinois

March 26, 2020

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON APRIL 29, 2020:

THIS NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS, THE ACCOMPANYING PROXY STATEMENT AND OUR 2019 ANNUAL REPORT TO STOCKHOLDERS ARE ALL AVAILABLE AT WWW.PROXYVOTE.COM AND MAY BE ACCESSED USING THE CONTROL NUMBER LOCATED ON EACH PROXY CARD.

TABLE OF CONTENTS TO PROXY STATEMENT

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GOGO INC.

111 N. Canal St., Suite 1500

Chicago, Illinois 60606

2020 PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY

This summary highlights information contained elsewhere in this proxy statement. This summary does not contain all of the information that you should consider, and you should read the entire proxy statement carefully before voting.

Please note that, due to concerns regarding the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic and to protect the health and safety of our employees and stockholders, the annual meeting will be a virtual meeting conducted solely on-line and can be attended by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/GOGO2020.

Gogo Inc.’s 2020 Annual Meeting Information

Items of Business

Board Structure

Gogo Inc. (“Gogo” or the “Company”) currently has nine directors divided into three classes: two in Class I, four in Class II and three in Class III. The terms of office of the two Class  I directors expire at the Annual Meeting.

Election of Class I Directors

The two nominees for election as Class I directors are listed below. If elected, the nominees for election as Class I directors will serve for a term of three years or until their successors are duly elected and qualified. If you sign and return the accompanying proxy, your shares will be voted for the election of the two Class I nominees recommended by the board of directors unless you choose to withhold authority to vote for any of the nominees. If any nominee for any reason is unable to serve or will not serve, your proxy may be voted for a substitute nominee designated by the board of directors as the proxy holders may determine. The board is not aware of any nominee who will be unable to or will not serve as a director. There is no cumulative voting.

In order to be elected, a nominee must receive a plurality of the votes validly cast at the Annual Meeting. Therefore, the two nominees who receive the most “FOR” votes (among votes properly cast in person or by proxy) will be elected. Proxies cannot be voted for a greater number of persons than the number of nominees named. The Class I nominees are as follows:

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Additional information about the two director nominees, as well as the Class II and Class III directors who will continue to serve after the Annual Meeting, is provided on page 13.

Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation

The board is asking you to vote to approve the compensation of our named executive officers, often referred to as a “say-on-pay” advisory vote. While the advisory vote is not binding on our board of directors, the board and Compensation Committee will take into account the result of the vote when determining future executive compensation arrangements. For more information, see page 73.

Approval of an Amendment to the Gogo Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan

The board is asking you to approve an amendment to the Gogo Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan. For more information, see page 75.

Approval of a Stock Option Exchange Program

The board is asking you to approve a stock option exchange program. For more information, see page 80.

Ratification of the Appointment of the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The board is asking you to ratify the selection of Deloitte & Touche LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the 2020 fiscal year. For more information, see page 89.

2021 Annual Meeting

Pursuant to Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) Rule 14a-8, stockholder proposals submitted for inclusion in the proxy statement for our 2021 annual meeting of stockholders must be received by us by November 26, 2020. For more information, see page 90.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE PROXY MATERIALS AND THE

ANNUAL MEETING

This proxy statement and proxy card are furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies to be voted at our annual meeting of stockholders, which will be held virtually at 9:00 a.m. Central Time, on April 29, 2020, at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/GOGO2020 (the “Annual Meeting”). On or about March 26, 2020, we began mailing to stockholders of record this proxy statement and proxy card.

Why am I receiving this proxy statement and proxy card?

You have received these proxy materials because our board of directors is soliciting your proxy to vote your shares at the Annual Meeting. This proxy statement describes issues on which we would like you to vote at our Annual Meeting. It also gives you information on these issues so that you can make an informed decision.

Because you own shares of our common stock, our board of directors has made this proxy statement and proxy card available to you on the Internet, in addition to delivering printed versions of this proxy statement and proxy card by mail.

When you vote by using the Internet or by signing and returning the proxy card you received by mail, you appoint Marguerite M. Elias and Victoria Pool (with full power of substitution) as your representatives at the Annual Meeting. They will vote your shares at the Annual Meeting as you have instructed or, if an issue that is not on the proxy card comes up for vote, in accordance with their best judgment. This way, your shares will be voted whether or not you virtually attend the Annual Meeting. Even if you plan to virtually attend the Annual Meeting, we encourage you to vote in advance by using the Internet or by signing and returning your proxy card. If you vote via the Internet, you do not need to return your proxy card.

Why is the Annual Meeting being held virtually?

We have been closely monitoring developments with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the related recommendations and protocols issued by public health authorities and federal, state, and local governments. In light of these ongoing concerns and in order to protect the health and safety of our employees and stockholders, we will be conducting the Annual Meeting solely online.

Are you planning on making the proxy materials only available by Internet this year, unless paper copies are requested?

No. Pursuant to rules adopted by the SEC, we are permitted to select between two options for making proxy materials available to our stockholders. Although in the past we have selected the notice only option and mailed a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials instead of a printed set of proxy materials, this year we have selected the “full set

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delivery” option and so are providing paper copies of proxy materials to all of our stockholders. Our proxy materials and 2019 Annual Report to Stockholders are also available via the Internet at www.proxyvote.com, which may be accessed using the control number located on each proxy card. We may decide not to use the “full set delivery” option in the future; however, should we choose not to use the “full set delivery” option, you will still have the right to request a free set of proxy materials by mail.

Who is entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting?

Holders of our common stock at the close of business on March 3, 2020 are entitled to vote. March 3, 2020 is referred to as the record date. In accordance with Delaware law, a list of stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting will be available in electronic form on the day of the Annual Meeting and for ten days before the meeting, in each case at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/GOGO2020.

How many votes is each share of common stock entitled to?

Holders of common stock are entitled to one vote per share. On the record date, there were 88,441,299 shares of our common stock outstanding and entitled to vote.

How do I vote at the Annual Meeting?

Stockholders of record may vote by using the Internet or by mail as described below. Stockholders also may virtually attend the Annual Meeting on April 29, 2020 at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/GOGO2020 and vote online at that time. If you hold shares through a bank or broker, please refer to your proxy card or other information forwarded by your bank or broker to see which voting options are available to you.

The method you use to vote will not limit your right to vote at the Annual Meeting if you decide to virtually attend. Only our stockholders and persons holding proxies from our stockholders may attend the Annual Meeting. To vote at the Annual Meeting, you must access www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/GOGO2020 and will need the control number located on your proxy card or to follow the instructions that accompanied your proxy materials. If you hold your shares in “street name,” you must obtain a proxy, executed in your favor, from the holder of record to be able to vote in person at the Annual Meeting.

How do I change or revoke my proxy?

You may revoke your proxy and change your vote at any time before the polls close at the Annual Meeting. You may do this by:

If you hold shares through a bank or broker, please refer to your proxy card or other information forwarded by your bank or broker to see how you can revoke your proxy and change your vote.

Virtual attendance at the Annual Meeting will not by itself revoke a proxy.

How many votes do you need to hold the Annual Meeting?

The presence, in person or by proxy, of the holders of a majority of the votes entitled to be cast at the Annual Meeting will constitute a quorum. Stockholders who attend the Annual Meeting online at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/GOGO2020 will be deemed to be in person attendees for purposes of determining if a quorum has been meet. If a quorum is present, we can hold the Annual Meeting and conduct business.

On what items am I voting?

You are being asked to vote on five items:

No cumulative voting rights are authorized, and dissenters’ rights are not applicable to these matters.

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How does the board of directors recommend that I vote?

The board recommends that you vote as follows:

How may I vote in the election of directors, and how many votes must the nominees receive to be elected?

With respect to the election of directors, you may:

The Company’s Amended and Restated Bylaws (the “Bylaws”) provide for the election of directors by a plurality of the votes cast. This means that the two individuals nominated for election to the board of directors who receive the most “FOR” votes (among votes properly cast in person or by proxy) will be elected.

What happens if a nominee is unable to stand for election?

If a nominee is unable to stand for election, the board may either:

If the board designates a substitute nominee, shares represented by proxies voted for the nominee who is unable to stand for election will be voted for the substitute nominee.

How may I vote for the non-binding advisory vote approving executive compensation, and how many votes must this proposal receive to pass?

With respect to this proposal, you may:

In order to pass, the proposal must receive the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes entitled to be cast at the Annual Meeting by the holders of common stock who are present in person or by proxy. In accordance with applicable law, this vote is “advisory,” meaning it will serve as a recommendation to our board of directors, but will not be binding. However, our Compensation Committee will consider the outcome of the vote when making future compensation decisions for our executive officers. If you abstain from voting on the proposal, it will have the same effect as a vote against the proposal.

How may I vote for the proposal to approve an amendment to the Gogo Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan?

With respect to this proposal, you may:

In order to pass, the proposal must receive the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes entitled to be cast at the Annual Meeting by the holders of common stock who are present in person or by proxy. If you abstain from voting on the proposal, it will have the same effect as a vote against the proposal.

How may I vote for the proposal to approve a stock option exchange program?

With respect to this proposal, you may:

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In order to pass, the proposal must receive the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes entitled to be cast at the Annual Meeting by the holders of common stock who are present in person or by proxy. If you abstain from voting on the proposal, it will have the same effect as a vote against the proposal.

How may I vote for the proposal to ratify the appointment of our independent registered public accounting firm, and how many votes must this proposal receive to pass?

With respect to this proposal, you may:

In order to pass, the proposal must receive the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes entitled to be cast at the Annual Meeting by the holders of common stock who are present in person or by proxy. If you abstain from voting on the proposal, it will have the same effect as a vote against the proposal.

What happens if I sign and return my proxy card but do not provide voting instructions?

If you return a signed card but do not provide voting instructions, your shares will be voted as follows:

Will my shares be voted if I do not vote by using the Internet or by signing and returning my proxy card?

If you do not vote by using the Internet or by signing and returning your proxy card, then your shares will not be voted and will not count in deciding the matters presented for stockholder consideration at the Annual Meeting.

If your shares are held in street name through a bank or broker, your bank or broker may vote your shares under certain limited circumstances if you do not provide voting instructions before the Annual Meeting, in accordance with the Nasdaq rules that govern the banks and brokers. These circumstances include voting your shares on “routine matters,” such as the ratification of the appointment of our independent registered public accountants described in this proxy statement. With respect to this proposal, therefore, if you do not vote your shares, your bank or broker may vote your shares on your behalf or leave your shares unvoted.

The election of directors, the non-binding advisory vote approving executive compensation, the approval of an amendment to the Gogo Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan and the approval of a stock option exchange program are not considered routine matters under the Nasdaq rules relating to voting by banks and brokers. When a proposal is not a routine matter and the brokerage firm has not received voting instructions from the beneficial owner of the shares with respect to that proposal, the brokerage firm cannot vote the shares on that proposal. This is called a “broker non-vote.” Broker non-votes that are represented at the Annual Meeting will be counted for purposes of establishing a quorum, but not for determining the number of shares voted for or against the non-routine matter.

We encourage you to provide instructions to your bank or brokerage firm by voting your proxy. This action ensures your shares will be voted at the Annual Meeting in accordance with your wishes.

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What is the vote required for each proposal to pass, and what is the effect of abstentions or withheld votes and uninstructed shares on the proposals?

The following table summarizes the board’s recommendation on each proposal, the vote required for each proposal to pass and the effect of abstentions or withheld votes and uninstructed shares on each proposal.

What do I need to do to virtually attend the Annual Meeting?

You will need to go to www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/GOGO2020 and enter the control number located on your proxy card or to follow the instructions that accompanied your proxy materials. We recommend that you log-in at least 15 minutes before the meeting starts to ensure that you are logged in when the virtual annual meeting begins. Only our stockholders and persons holding proxies from our stockholders may attend the Annual Meeting.

Can I receive future proxy materials and annual reports electronically?

Yes. You may access this proxy statement and the annual report by accessing the website located at www.proxyvote.com using the control number located on each proxy card. Instead of receiving future proxy materials in the mail, you can elect to receive an email that provides a link to our future annual reports and proxy materials on the Internet. Opting to receive your proxy materials electronically will save us the cost of producing and mailing documents to your home or business, will reduce the environmental impact of our annual meetings, and will give you an automatic link to the proxy voting site.

If you are a stockholder of record and wish to enroll in the electronic proxy delivery service for future meetings, you may do so by going to www.proxyvote.com and following the prompts.

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DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

The following sections provide an overview of our corporate governance structure and processes. Among other topics, we describe how we select directors, how we consider the independence of our directors and key aspects of our board operations.

The Company’s Bylaws provide that the board of directors shall consist of not fewer than three directors, with the exact number to be fixed by the board of directors. The board of directors has fixed the current number of directors at 10, and there is currently one vacancy.

The Company’s Third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “Certificate of Incorporation”) divides the board into three classes, as nearly equal in number as possible, with the terms of office of the directors of each class ending in different years. Class I currently has two directors, Class II currently has four directors and Class III currently has three directors. The terms of directors in Classes I, II and III end at the annual meetings in 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively.

At each annual meeting of the stockholders, the successors of the directors whose term expires at that meeting are elected to hold office for a term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders held in the third year following the year of their election. The board of directors is therefore asking you to elect the two nominees for director whose terms expire at the Annual Meeting. Hugh W. Jones and Oakleigh Thorne, our current Class I directors, have been nominated for reelection at the Annual Meeting. See “Proposal 1: Election of Directors” on page 72.

Directors are elected by a plurality. Therefore, the two nominees who receive the most “FOR” votes will be elected. Proxies cannot be voted for a greater number of persons than the number of nominees named. There is no cumulative voting. If you sign and return the

accompanying proxy card, your shares will be voted for the election of the two nominees recommended by the board of directors unless you choose to withhold your vote against any or all of the nominees. If any nominee for any reason is unable to serve or will not serve, proxies may be voted for such substitute nominee as the proxy holders may determine. The Company is not aware of any nominee who will be unable to or will not serve as a director.

Biographical information for each nominee and continuing director is set forth below. We have also identified for each individual the business experience, qualifications, attributes and skills that underlie the board of directors’ and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s belief that each individual is a valuable member of the board of directors. The persons who have been nominated for election and are to be voted upon at the Annual Meeting are listed first, with continuing directors following thereafter.

Class I Nominees

Hugh W. Jones is a co-founder of Basalt Investments, LLC. Mr. Jones previously served as President of Sabre Airline Solutions from April 2011 to August 2017. From 1996 to 2011, Mr. Jones held a number of other executive positions at Sabre including COO of Sabre Travel Network and Airline Solutions. Before joining Sabre, Mr. Jones served as the president and CEO of Travelocity. Mr. Jones has served on the board of directors of the travel technology company Travelport (formally Toro Private OpCo, LTD) since May 2019. He began his career in the travel industry at American Airlines in 1988, serving in a variety of finance positions.

Mr. Jones’s specific qualifications, experience, skills and expertise include:

Oakleigh Thorne has served as our President and Chief Executive Officer since March 4, 2018. Mr. Thorne also serves as the CEO of Thorndale Farm, L.L.C., which oversees investment of Thorne family assets. From 1996 to 2009, Mr. Thorne served as the Co-President of Blumenstein/Thorne Information Partners, L.L.C., a private equity and venture capital firm. From 2000 to 2007, Mr. Thorne served as Chairman and CEO of eCollege.com, a then-publicly traded provider of outsourced eLearning solutions, and he previously served as CEO of Commerce Clearing House Inc. and as a director of ShopperTrak and MachineryLink. Mr. Thorne currently serves as a director of Helix Education, Inc. Mr. Thorne served as a member of the board of directors of Aircell, our predecessor company, from 2003 until January 2007.

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Mr. Thorne’s specific qualifications, experience, skills and expertise include:

Continuing Directors

Class II Directors – Terms Expiring at the 2021 Annual Meeting:

Ronald T. LeMay has served as Chairman and CEO of Main Street Data, Inc. (an advanced analytics company) and Aquarius Solutions, Inc. (an asset utilization company) since January 2017, and as Managing Director of OpenAir Equity Partners (a venture capital firm formed to make early stage investments in wireless companies) since September 2008. In addition, Mr. LeMay has served as Chairman of the Board of October Capital (a private investment company) since February 2001 and Razorback Capital (a private investment company) since August 2006 and as a director of Zubie, Inc. from May 2016 to present and Hyla, Inc. from September 2010 to present. Previously, Mr. LeMay served as Representative Executive Officer of Japan Telecom from November 2003 until the sale of the company in July 2004 and as President and Chief Operating Officer of Sprint Corporation from October 1997 until April 2003. Mr. LeMay was a director of Imation from July 1996 (except for the period from August 5, 1997 to December 31, 1997) until his retirement from the board in May 2012 and was a director of Allstate Corporation until he retired from the board in May 2014. Mr. LeMay has served as the Chairman of our board of directors since July 2006. He served as our Executive Chairman from July 2006 to June 2013, except during the period from July 2009 to February 2010, during which he served as our Chief Executive Officer.

Mr. LeMay’s qualifications, experience, skills and expertise include:

Michele Coleman Mayes currently serves as Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for the New York Public Library (NYPL). She joined NYPL in August 2012 after serving as Executive Vice President and General Counsel for Allstate Insurance Company since 2007. Prior to Allstate, she served as a Senior Vice President and the General Counsel of Pitney Bowes Inc. from 2003 to 2007 and in several legal capacities at Colgate-Palmolive from 1992 to 2003. In 1982, Ms. Mayes entered the corporate sector as managing attorney of Burroughs Corporation. After Burroughs and Sperry Corporation merged, creating Unisys Corporation, she was appointed Staff Vice President and Associate General Counsel for Worldwide Litigation. From 1976 through 1982, she served in the U.S. Department of Justice

as an Assistant United States Attorney in Detroit and Brooklyn, eventually assuming the role of Chief of the Civil Division in Detroit. She chaired the American Bar Association Commission on Women in the Profession from 2014 to 2017 and is on the Board of Trustees of the American College of Corporate Governance Counsel. Ms. Mayes served as a director of Assurant, Inc. from 2004 to 2007, where she also served as a member of the Audit Committee and Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee.

Ms. Mayes’s specific qualifications, experience, skills and expertise include:

Robert H. Mundheim has been Of Counsel to Shearman & Sterling LLP since 2000. Since 2012, Mr. Mundheim has also served as a Professor of Corporate Law and Finance at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law. From 1992 to 1999, Mr. Mundheim was Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Salomon Inc. and Senior Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Salomon Smith Barney Holdings Inc., and prior to that, he was Co-Chairman of the New York law firm of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP and University Professor of Law and Finance at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he taught since 1965 and served as Dean from 1982 to 1989. Mr. Mundheim has also served as General Counsel to the U.S. Treasury Department, Special Counsel to the Securities and Exchange Commission and Vice Chairman, Governor-at-Large and a member of the Executive Committee of the National Association of Securities Dealers. He previously served as Chairman of the board of directors of Quadra Realty Trust, Inc. and as a director of Weeden & Co. LP, eCollege.com, Benjamin Moore & Co., Commerce Clearing House Inc., Arnhold & S. Bleichroeder Holdings, Inc., Hypo Real Estate Holding AG and First Pennsylvania Bank. Mr. Mundheim currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the New School and the Board of Trustees of the Curtis Institute of Music, a Trustee of the American College of Corporate Governance Counsel and a director of the Salzburg Global Seminar.

Mr. Mundheim’s specific qualifications, experience, skills and expertise include:

Harris N. Williams serves as Senior Managing Director of WF Investment Management LLC, a diversified asset management business. From 2005 to 2013, Mr. Williams was an executive with Ripplewood Holdings, LLC, a global private equity firm focused on control investments, serving as Managing Director since 2007. Prior to 2005,

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Mr. Williams was in the Investment Banking division of Credit Suisse, primarily focused on mergers and acquisitions and leveraged buyouts. Mr. Williams’s industry areas of focus have included Technology, Media, Financial Services, Healthcare, Industrials and Hospitality on a global basis. Mr. Williams served on the board of directors of 3W Power Holdings Ltd. from 2011 to 2013, where he also served as Chairman of the Audit Committee.

Mr. Williams’s specific qualifications, experience, skills and expertise include:

Class III Directors – Terms Expiring at the 2022 Annual Meeting:

Robert L. Crandall is the former chairman and CEO of AMR Corporation and American Airlines. Mr. Crandall served as a member of the board of directors of Aircell, our predecessor company, from 2003 until January 2007.

Mr. Crandall’s specific qualifications, experience, skills and expertise include:

Christopher D. Payne has served as the Chief Operating Officer of DoorDash Inc. since January 2016. Mr. Payne was formerly the CEO of Tinder, Inc. from March 2015 to September 2015, the Senior Vice President, North American Marketplaces of eBay Inc. from September 2010 to December 2014 and the founder and CEO of Positronic, Inc. from July 2007 until December 2008, when it was sold to eBay. Mr. Payne previously served as a Vice President at Amazon from 1998 to 2001 and a Vice President at Microsoft from 2001 to 2007. Mr. Payne also was on the board of directors of Rue La La from July 2011 to October 2013.

Mr. Payne’s specific qualifications, experience, skills and expertise include:

Charles C. Townsend currently serves as Managing General Partner of Bluewater Wireless II, L.P. Mr. Townsend founded Aloha Partners LP in 2001 and served as its Managing General Partner until 2008. Mr. Townsend has served on the Board of Directors of CTIA, a trade association representing the wireless telecommunications industry, from 2017 to the present. Since January 2004, Mr. Townsend has also served as President of Pac 3, LLC.

Mr. Townsend’s specific qualifications, experience, skills and expertise include:

Selecting Nominees for Director

Our board has delegated to the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee the responsibility for reviewing and recommending to the board nominees for director. In accordance with our Corporate Governance Guidelines, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, in evaluating director candidates, recommends to the board appropriate criteria for the selection of new directors based on the strategic needs of the Company and the board, periodically reviews the criteria adopted by the board and, if deemed desirable, recommends changes to such criteria.

The board values diversity, in its broadest sense, reflecting, but not limited to, profession, geography, gender, ethnicity, skills and experience, and when conducting a search endeavors to include individuals who would add diversity to the board, including women and minority candidates, in the qualified pool from which board candidates are chosen. From time to time stockholders, prospective candidates or other third parties may present an individual to the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee for consideration, in which case the board may, if such individual meets the criteria for membership and is expected to make significant contributions to the Company, elect such individual to the board without conducting a search.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for recommending to the board nominees for election to the board at each annual meeting of stockholders and for identifying one or more candidates to fill any vacancies that may occur on the board. New candidates may be identified through recommendations from independent directors or members of management, search firms, discussions with other persons who may know of suitable candidates to serve on the board, and stockholder recommendations. Evaluations of prospective candidates typically include a review of the candidates’ background and qualifications by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, interviews with the Committee as a whole, one or more members of the Committee, or one or more other board members, and discussions within the Committee and the full board. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee then recommends candidates to the full board, with the full board selecting the candidates to be nominated for election by the stockholders or to be elected by the board to fill a vacancy.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider director candidates proposed by stockholders as well as recommendations from other sources. Any

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stockholder who wishes to recommend a prospective candidate for the board of directors for consideration by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee may do so by submitting the name and qualifications of the prospective candidate in writing to the following address: Corporate Secretary, 111 N. Canal St., Suite 1500, Chicago, Illinois 60606. Any such submission should also describe the experience, qualifications, attributes and skills that make the prospective candidate a suitable nominee for the board of directors. Our Bylaws set forth the requirements for direct nomination of an individual by a stockholder for election to the board of directors.

Director Independence

Under the Nasdaq listing standards, independent directors must comprise a majority of a listed company’s board of directors. In addition, the listing standards of Nasdaq require that, subject to specified exceptions, each member of a listed company’s audit, compensation and nominating and corporate governance committees be independent. In order to consider a director independent, the board of directors must affirmatively determine that he or she has no material relationship with Gogo Inc. and is independent under the independence criteria for directors established by Nasdaq, Rule 10A-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the independence criteria adopted by the board of directors. The independence criteria adopted by the board are set forth in the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines.

The board undertook an annual review of director independence in March 2020. As part of this review, the board considered whether there were any relationships between each director or any member of his or her immediate family and the Company. The board also examined whether there were any relationships between an organization of which a director is a partner, stockholder or executive officer and the Company. The purpose of this review was to determine whether any such relationships were inconsistent with a determination that a director is independent. As a result of this review, the board affirmatively determined that the following directors are independent directors: Robert Crandall, Hugh Jones, Ronald LeMay, Michele Coleman Mayes, Robert Mundheim, Christopher Payne, Charles Townsend and Harris Williams. Accordingly, eight of our nine directors are independent. The board also affirmatively determined that all directors serving on the Audit Committee satisfy the independence requirements of Nasdaq and the SEC relating to audit committee members and that all directors serving on the Compensation Committee satisfy the independence requirements of Nasdaq relating to compensation committee members.

Executive Sessions of Our Non-Management Directors

The Chairman of the Board and the full board each have authority to require the board to meet in executive sessions outside the presence of management. The independent directors meet at regularly scheduled executive sessions without management not less frequently than once per quarter.

Board Leadership Structure

As noted in our Corporate Governance Guidelines, the board has no policy with respect to the separation of the offices of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. The board believes it is important to retain its flexibility to allocate the responsibilities of the offices of the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in any way that is in the best interests of the Company at a given point in time. Mr. LeMay, an independent director, currently serves as the Chairman of our board of directors.

Board’s Role in Risk Oversight

Our board is responsible for overseeing our risk management. Under its charter, the Audit Committee is responsible for reviewing and discussing our risk management practices, including the effectiveness of the systems and policies for risk assessment and risk management, the major financial risk exposures and the steps management has taken to monitor and control such exposures, any unusual material transactions and management, internal auditor and independent auditor reviews regarding policies, procedures and monitoring related to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other anti-corruption statutes. The Audit Committee also oversees our corporate compliance and ethics programs, as well as the internal audit function. The board’s other independent committees oversee risks associated with their respective areas of responsibility. For example, the Compensation Committee considers the risks associated with our compensation policies and practices, with respect to both executive compensation and compensation generally. In addition to the committees’ work in overseeing risk management, our full board regularly engages in discussions of the most significant risks that the Company is facing and how these risks are being managed, and the board receives reports on risk management from senior officers of the Company and from the committee chairs. The board reviews periodic assessments obtained from the Company’s ongoing enterprise risk management process that are designed to identify potential events that may affect the achievement of the Company’s objectives.

The Company’s executive officers, including the General Counsel and Secretary, report directly to our Chief Executive Officer, providing him with visibility into the Company’s risk profile. The head of the Company’s internal audit function regularly reports to the Audit Committee, and each of the General Counsel and head of internal audit have regularly scheduled private sessions with the Audit Committee. The board of directors believes that the work undertaken by the committees of the board, together with the work of the full board of directors and our management, enables the board of directors to effectively oversee the Company’s risk management function.

Corporate Governance Guidelines, Committee Charters and Code of Business Conduct

Our Corporate Governance Guidelines are available on the corporate governance section of our investor relations website at www.ir.gogoair.com. The written charters for each

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of the Audit, Compensation and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees also are available on the corporate governance section of our investor relations website at www.ir.gogoair.com.

We have a long-standing commitment to conduct our business in accordance with high ethical principles. Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics applies to our directors, chief executive officer, chief financial officer, chief accounting officer and all other officers and employees. Our Code of Financial Ethics applies to our chief executive officer, chief financial officer, chief accounting officer and any other key employees performing finance or accounting functions. Copies of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and the Code of Financial Ethics may also be accessed on the corporate governance section of our investor relations website at www.ir.gogoair.com.

Committees of the Board

Our board of directors has three committees: the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The following table shows the current members of each committee and the number of meetings held during fiscal year 2019.

  ✓= current committee member; * = chair

Audit Committee. Our Audit Committee is responsible, among its other duties and responsibilities, for overseeing our accounting and financial reporting processes, the audits of our financial statements, the qualifications and independence of our independent registered public accounting firm, the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting and the performance of our internal audit function and independent registered public accounting firm. Our Audit Committee reviews and assesses the qualitative aspects of our financial reporting, our processes for managing business and financial risks, and our compliance with legal, ethical and regulatory requirements. Our Audit Committee is directly responsible for the appointment, compensation, retention and oversight of our independent registered public accounting firm.

During fiscal year 2019, the Audit Committee held seven meetings. The Audit Committee is currently composed of Messrs. Williams (chair), Crandall and Jones and Ms. Mayes. Each member of our Audit Committee meets the Nasdaq independence requirements, is financially literate, and is an independent director under Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act. Our board has determined that Mr. Crandall is an audit committee financial expert as defined by the SEC.

Compensation Committee. Our Compensation Committee is responsible, among its other duties and responsibilities, for reviewing and approving all forms of compensation to be provided to, and employment agreements with, the executive officers and directors of the Company and its subsidiaries (including the Chief Executive Officer), establishing the general compensation policies of the Company and its subsidiaries and reviewing, approving and overseeing the administration of the employee benefits plans of the Company and its subsidiaries. Our Compensation Committee also periodically reviews development and succession plans for executive officers.

During fiscal year 2019, the Compensation Committee held six meetings. The Compensation Committee is currently composed of Messrs. Mundheim (chair), Townsend, Crandall and Jones. Each member of our Compensation Committee meets the Nasdaq independence requirements and is an outside director under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code. If all directors serving on the Compensation Committee do not meet the “non-employee director” requirements of SEC Rule 16b-3, the Compensation Committee will delegate to a special Section 16b-3 subcommittee consisting of those Compensation Committee members who meet such requirements the authority to approve grants of equity-based compensation subject to Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act. The Compensation Committee also from time to time delegates authority to our Chief Executive Officer to approve equity grants to non-executive officers and other employees.

The Compensation Committee retained Compensation Strategies, Inc. during 2019 to provide executive compensation consulting services. Compensation Strategies, Inc. reports directly to the Compensation Committee, and does not provide any other services to the Company. After a review of the applicable factors prescribed by the SEC and Nasdaq, the Company determined that Compensation Strategies, Inc. is independent.

For additional information about the Compensation Committee’s processes and the role of executive officers and compensation consultants in determining compensation, see “Executive Compensation—Compensation Discussion and Analysis.”

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible, among its other duties and responsibilities, for identifying and recommending candidates for election to our board (including candidates proposed by stockholders), reviewing the composition of the board and its committees, developing corporate governance guidelines and recommending them to the board for approval, and managing the board’s annual self-evaluation process.

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During fiscal year 2019, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee held three meetings. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is currently composed of Ms. Mayes (chair) and Mr. Mundheim. Each member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee meets the Nasdaq independence requirements.

Meetings of the Board of Directors and Attendance at the Annual Meeting

Our board of directors held seven meetings during fiscal year 2019. Each of our directors attended at least 75% of the total number of meetings of the board and any committees of which he/she was a member during the time in which such director served on the board or any committee. It is the board’s policy that our directors attend our annual meetings. All members of the board serving as directors at the time of the 2019 annual meeting attended the 2019 annual meeting.

Plurality Voting for Directors and Director Resignation Policy

The Company’s Bylaws provide for the election of directors by a plurality of the votes cast. This means that the two individuals nominated for election to the board of directors at the Annual Meeting who receive the most “FOR” votes (among votes properly cast in person or by proxy) will be elected. In addition, it is the Company’s policy that if (i) a director ceases to be employed by his or her principal employer, commences employment with a new employer or, while remaining employed by the same employer, undergoes a significant change in his or her position or employment responsibilities, (ii) an independent director ceases to qualify as such, or (iii) a nominee for director, in an uncontested election of directors, receives a greater number of votes “withheld” from his or her election than votes “for” his or her election, the affected director will be required to promptly tender to the board his or her resignation as director. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider the tendered resignation and recommend to the board whether to accept or reject the resignation, and the board will make such determination, based on a review of whether the individual continues to satisfy the board’s membership criteria and any other matters that the board may consider relevant to its determination.

Succession Planning and Management Development

We are focused on talent development at all levels within our organization. Among the Compensation Committee’s key responsibilities is to ensure that management establishes and the Committee oversees an effective executive succession plan. The board regularly reviews the succession plans that support our overall business strategy, with a focus on key positions at the senior officer level. The board recognizes that succession planning and talent management are closely connected to risk management. Potential leaders are given exposure and visibility to board members through formal presentations and informal events. More broadly, the board is regularly updated on key talent indicators for the overall workforce, including through diversity, recruiting and development programs.

Security Ownership Policies

The Company’s policies prohibit directors, officers and employees, their immediate family members living in their households and other persons living in their households (“Company Associated Persons”) from engaging in short sales and transactions in puts, calls or other derivative transactions with respect to the equity of the Company or its affiliates. The Company’s policies also discourage Company Associated Persons from engaging in hedging or monetization transactions involving securities of the Company or its affiliates (such as zero-cost collars and forward sale transactions) that allow a person to lock in much of the value of his or her stock holdings, often in exchange for all or part of the potential for upside appreciation in the stock. Any Company Associated Person wishing to enter into such hedging arrangement must first pre-clear the proposed transaction with the office of the General Counsel of the Company. Any request for pre-clearance of a hedging or similar arrangement must be submitted to the General Counsel of the Company at least two weeks before the proposed execution of documents evidencing the proposed transaction. The office of the General Counsel will then determine whether the transaction may proceed. The Company further requires that pledges by directors and executive officers of securities of the Company or its affiliates made after April 2018 be approved in advance by the board of directors or a committee designated by the board of directors.

Executive Officers

Our executive officers are designated by, and serve at the discretion of, our board of directors. There are no family relationships among any of our directors or executive officers. Our executive officers are as follows:

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Mr. Thorne’s biography and related information may be found above in the section titled “Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance—Class I Nominees.” The following is biographical information for our other executive officers:

Sergio Aguirre joined us in February 2007. In December 2017, Mr. Aguirre became our Senior Vice President and General Manager of Business Aviation, and in May 2018, he became our President, Business Aviation division. From 2001 to 2007, Mr. Aguirre was employed as the director of sales for Securaplane Technologies Inc. Mr. Aguirre has more than 30 years’ experience in the aviation industry and has served in a variety of positions, including mechanics, sales, product development and management. Mr. Aguirre received a Bachelor of Arts from Orange Coast College and completed Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program.

Jonathan B. Cobin joined us in April 2010. In January 2017, Mr. Cobin became our Chief Commercial Officer, and in May 2018, he became our Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer. From September 2003 to January 2010, Mr. Cobin was employed by Centennial Communications, a regional telecommunications service provider, principally in the role of Vice President Strategic Planning. Previously, Mr. Cobin held positions of increasing responsibility as a strategy consultant at Dean & Company and in the investment banking group at J.P. Morgan. He received his Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College.

Marguerite M. Elias joined us in September 2007. From June 2004 until July 2007, Ms. Elias served as Senior Vice President and General Counsel of eCollege.com, a publicly traded provider of outsourced eLearning solutions, where she was responsible for all legal and compliance issues, managed the human resources function and was a member of senior management. Ms. Elias was in private practice for 15 years at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and Katten Muchin Rosenman, where she specialized in federal securities law, corporate finance, and mergers and acquisitions for clients across a broad spectrum of industries. Since 2007, Ms. Elias has served on the board of directors of Helix Education, Inc. She is a member of the American Law Institute. Ms. Elias received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Northwestern University and a Juris Doctor from Loyola University of Chicago School of Law.

Barry Rowan joined us as Executive Vice President, Finance in April 2017 and in May 2017 he became our Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Rowan previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Cool Planet Energy Systems from March 2013 to April 2017, as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Administrative Officer for Vonage Corporation from 2010 to 2013, and as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer for Nextel Partners from 2003 to 2006. Mr. Rowan earned his Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Harvard Business School and his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Chemical Biology summa cum laude from The College of Idaho.

John Wade joined us in November 2008. In August 2016, Mr. Wade became our Chief Operating Officer, and in May 2018, he became our President, Commercial Aviation division. Prior to joining Gogo, Mr. Wade served as Chief Technical Officer and General Manager of in-flight mobile phone and internet provider, OnAir, from February 2005 to November 2008. He was responsible for OnAir’s internet business, including sales, strategy, customer relationship management and product development. Mr. Wade has more than 20 years of experience in the avionics and in-flight communications industries, having also held positions at in-flight internet and connectivity services provider Tenzing Communications, as well as PRIMEX Aerospace Company and GEC Marconi In-Flight Systems. Mr. Wade received his education at the University of Brighton, U.K., where he earned a First Class B Engineering Honors Degree in Electronic Engineering.

Michael Bayer joined us in June 2015. From February 2013 to March 2015, Mr. Bayer served as Vice President and Corporate Controller at JMC Steel Group, Inc., an independent steel pipe and tube manufacturer. Prior to that, he worked in various accounting and financial reporting roles, including as Assistant Controller and Controller of Motorola Mobility, Inc. from 2010 to 2013 and as Director of Accounting at Exelon Corporation from 2004 to 2009. Mr. Bayer is a Certified Public Accountant and received his Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Miami University.

Karen Jackson joined us in February 2015 as Senior Vice President, Human Resources. Ms. Jackson became our Executive Vice President, Chief People Experience Officer in February 2020. From November 2011 to January 2015, Ms. Jackson served as SVP, Human Resources of Acquity Group, a digital and marketing services firm acquired by Accenture, where she was responsible for the HR function and talent strategy across the business. From November 2009 to November 2011, Ms. Jackson held the position of VP, Corporate Strategy at Acquity Group, where she was responsible for driving Acquity Group’s growth initiatives. She received her Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Fuqua School of Business, Duke University and a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Policies and Procedures for Related Person Transactions

We have adopted a written related person transactions policy pursuant to which our executive officers, directors and principal stockholders, including their immediate family members, will not be permitted to enter into a related person transaction with us without the consent of our Audit Committee. Any proposed transaction between the Company and an executive officer, director, principal stockholder or any of such persons’ immediate family members, in which the amount involved exceeds $120,000, must be presented to our Audit Committee for review, consideration and approval. Our directors, executive officers and employees are required to report any proposed related person transaction to our Audit Committee. In approving or rejecting the proposed transaction, our Audit Committee will take

26				GOGO INC.

into account, among other factors it deems appropriate, whether the proposed related person transaction is on terms no less favorable than terms generally available to an unaffiliated third party under the same or similar circumstances, the extent of the related person’s interest in the transaction and, if applicable, the impact on a director’s independence. Under the policy, if we discover any related person transaction that has not been properly approved, our Audit Committee will be notified and will determine the appropriate action, including ratification, rescission or amendment of the transaction.

Related Person Transactions

Convertible Notes Transactions

As of December 31, 2019, Thorndale Farm Private Equity Fund 2, LLC (“Thorndale”), an entity affiliated with Oakleigh Thorne, held $8 million in aggregate principal amount of our outstanding 6.00% Convertible Senior Notes due 2022 (the “2022 Convertible Notes”). In 2019, we paid $472,000 in interest to Thorndale with respect to its 2022 Convertible Notes.

On March 1, 2020, our 3.75% Convertible Senior Notes due 2020 (the “2020 Convertible Notes”) matured in accordance with their terms. As of March 1, 2020, Millbrook Tribute Garden, Inc. (“Millbrook”), an entity affiliated with Oakleigh Thorne, held $250,000 in aggregate principal amount of the 2020 Convertible Notes, and we paid $254,688 in aggregate amount of principal and accrued and unpaid interest on the 2020 Convertible Notes upon maturity to Millbrook. In 2019, we paid $9,375 in interest to Millbrook with respect to its 2020 Convertible Notes.

Secured Notes Transaction

On April 25, 2019, Thorndale purchased $13,375,000 in aggregate principal amount of 9.875% Senior Secured Notes due 2024 (the “2024 Secured Notes”) issued by Gogo Intermediate Holdings LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (“GIH”), and Gogo Finance Co. Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of GIH (together, the “Issuers”) at a price equal to 99.512% of the principal amount thereof, in an unregistered offering of securities pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The 2024 Secured Notes mature on May 1, 2024, unless earlier redeemed or repurchased. The Issuers pay interest on the 2024 Secured Notes semi-annually in arrears on November 1 and May 1 of each year, beginning on November 1, 2019. In 2019, the Issuers paid $682,404 in interest to Thorndale with respect to its 2024 Secured Notes.

Registration Rights Agreement

On December 31, 2009, we entered into a registration rights agreement (the “Registration Rights Agreement”) with certain of our stockholders, including certain entities

affiliated with Oakleigh Thorne. The following description of the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement is intended as a summary only and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Registration Rights Agreement filed as an exhibit to our 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K. The registration of shares of our common stock pursuant to the exercise of registration rights described below would enable the holders to trade these shares without restriction under the Securities Act, when the applicable registration statement is declared effective. We will pay the registration expenses, other than underwriting discounts and commissions and certain counsel or advisor fees as described therein, of the shares registered pursuant to the demand and piggyback registrations described below.

The demand and piggyback registration rights described below commenced 180 days after the closing of our initial public offering on June 26, 2013 and continue perpetually. We are not required to effect more than two demand registrations in any twelve-month period or any demand registration within 180 days following the date of effectiveness of any other registration statement. If the board of directors (or an authorized committee thereof), in its reasonable good faith judgment determines that the filing of a registration statement will materially affect a significant transaction or would force the Company to disclose confidential information which is adverse to the Company’s interest, then the board of directors may delay a required registration filing for periods of up to 90 days, so long as the periods do not aggregate to more than 120 days in a twelve-month period. Generally, in an underwritten offering, the managing underwriter has the right, subject to specified conditions, to limit the number of shares such holders may include.

Demand Registration Rights. Under the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement, stockholders that are a party to the agreement may, under certain circumstances and provided they meet certain thresholds described in the Registration Rights Agreement, make a written request to us for the registration of the offer and sale of all or part of the shares subject to such registration rights (“Registrable Securities”). If we are eligible to file a registration statement on Form S-3 or any successor form with similar “short-form” disclosure requirements, the holders of Registrable Securities may make a written request to us for the registration of the offer and sale of all or part of the Registrable Securities provided that the Registrable Securities to be registered under such short-form registration have an aggregate market value, based upon the offering price to the public, equal to at least $15.0 million.

Piggyback Registration Rights. If we register the offer and sale of any of our securities (other than a registration statement relating to an initial public offering or on Form S-4 or S-8 or any successor form for securities to be offered in a transaction of the type referred to in Rule 145 under the Securities Act or to employees of the Company pursuant to any employee benefit plan, respectively) either on our behalf or on the behalf of other security holders, the holders of the Registrable Securities under the Registration Rights Agreement are entitled to include their Registrable Securities in the registration subject to certain exceptions relating to employee benefit plans and mergers and acquisitions. The managing underwriters of any

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underwritten offering may limit the number of Registrable Securities included in the underwritten offering if the underwriters believe that including these shares would have a materially adverse effect on the offering. If the number of Registrable Securities is limited by the managing underwriter, the securities to be included first in the registration will depend on whether we or certain holders of our securities initiate the piggyback registration. If we initiate the piggyback registration, we are required to include in the offering (i) first, the securities we propose to sell and (ii) second, the Registrable Securities requested to be included in such registration, pro rata among the holders of such Registrable Securities on the basis of the number of Registrable Securities owned by each such holder. If the holder of Registrable Securities initiates the piggyback registration, it is required to include in the offering (i) first, the Registrable Securities requested to be included in such registration, pro rata among the holders of such Registrable Securities on the basis of the number of Registrable Securities owned by each such holder and (ii) second, the securities we propose to sell.

Indemnification Agreements

Our Certificate of Incorporation contains provisions permitted under the Delaware General Corporation Law relating to the liability of directors. These provisions eliminate a director’s personal liability to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law for monetary damages resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty, except in circumstances involving any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty, acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of the law, under Section 174 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (unlawful dividends), or any transaction from which the director derives an improper personal benefit. The principal effect of the limitation on liability provision is that a stockholder will be unable to prosecute an action for monetary damages against a director unless the stockholder can demonstrate a basis for liability for which indemnification is not available under the Delaware General Corporation Law. These provisions, however, should not limit or eliminate our rights or any stockholder’s rights to seek non-monetary relief, such as an injunction or rescission, in the event of a breach of a director’s fiduciary duty. These provisions will not alter a director’s liability under federal securities laws. The inclusion of this provision in our Certificate of Incorporation may discourage or deter stockholders or management from bringing a lawsuit against directors for a breach of their fiduciary duties, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise have benefited us and our stockholders.

Our Bylaws require us to indemnify and advance expenses to our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law and other applicable law, except in certain cases of a proceeding instituted by the director or officer without the approval of our board. Our Bylaws provide that we are required to indemnify our directors and executive officers, to the fullest extent permitted by law, for all judgments, fines, settlements, legal fees and other expenses incurred in connection with pending or threatened legal proceedings because of the director’s or officer’s positions with us or another entity that the

director or officer serves at our request, subject to various conditions, and to advance funds to our directors and officers to enable them to defend against such proceedings.

We have also entered into an indemnification agreement with each of our directors and executive officers. The indemnification agreements provide our directors and executive officers with contractual rights to the indemnification and expense advancement rights provided under our Bylaws, as well as contractual rights to additional indemnification as provided in the indemnification agreements.

Communications with the Board

Stockholders who wish to contact our board may send written correspondence, in care of the Corporate Secretary, to 111 N. Canal St., Suite 1500, Chicago, Illinois 60606. Communications may be addressed to an individual director, to the non-management directors as a group, or to the board as a whole. Communications not submitted confidentially that discuss business or other matters relevant to the activities of our board will be preliminarily reviewed by the office of the Secretary and then distributed either in summary form or by delivering a copy of the communication. Communications marked as confidential will be distributed, without review by the office of the Secretary, to the director, or group of directors, to whom they are addressed. With respect to other correspondence received by the Company that is addressed to one or more directors, the board has requested that the following items not be distributed to directors, because they generally fall into the purview of management, rather than the board: junk mail and mass mailings, product and services complaints, product and services inquiries, résumés and other forms of job inquiries, solicitations for charitable donations, surveys, business solicitations and advertisements.

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SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND

MANAGEMENT

The following table indicates information as of March 2, 2020 regarding the beneficial ownership of our common stock by:

In accordance with SEC rules, beneficial ownership includes sole or shared voting or investment power with respect to securities and includes the shares issuable pursuant to stock options that are exercisable within 60 days of the determination date, which in the case of the following table is March 2, 2020. Shares issuable pursuant to those stock options are deemed outstanding for computing the percentage of the person holding such options but are not deemed outstanding for computing the percentage of any other person. Under these rules, more than one person may be a deemed beneficial owner of the same securities and a person may be deemed a beneficial owner of securities in which such person has no economic interest. Unless otherwise indicated, the persons or entities identified in this table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares shown as beneficially owned by them, subject to applicable community property laws.

The percentage of beneficial ownership is based on 88,341,961 shares of our common stock outstanding as of March 2, 2020.

Except as otherwise noted below, the address for each person listed on the table is c/o Gogo Inc., 111 N. Canal St., Suite 1500, Chicago, Illinois 60606.

DELINQUENT SECTION 16(A) REPORTS

Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires the Company’s directors and executive officers, and persons who own more than 10% of a registered class of the Company’s equity securities, to file with the SEC initial reports and reports of change in ownership in the Company’s common stock and other equity securities. Officers, directors and greater than 10% stockholders are required by SEC regulations to furnish the Company with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file.

To the Company’s knowledge, based solely on a review of the copies of such reports filed electronically with the SEC and written representations from the Company’s officers and directors, all Section 16(a) filing requirements applicable to our officers, directors and greater than 10% beneficial owners were complied with during 2019, except that Mr. Thorne inadvertently failed to file a timely report with respect to 100 shares of our common stock owned by his spouse when they married in 2014 and inadvertently omitted his indirect ownership of these 100 shares in his 2019 Section 16(a) filings. Mr. Thorne subsequently filed a Form 5 on January 23, 2020 to report his indirect ownership of these shares.

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

Introduction

In this Compensation Discussion and Analysis, we provide an overview of the Company’s executive compensation program, including a discussion of its compensation philosophy. We also review the material elements of compensation earned by or paid to our named executive officers (each, an “NEO”) in 2019, and discuss and analyze the compensation decisions made by the Compensation Committee in 2019.

The NEOs discussed in this Compensation Discussion and Analysis and the related compensation tables are the officers listed in the table below.

The Compensation Committee has overall responsibility for approving the compensation program for our NEOs and makes all final compensation decisions regarding our NEOs. The Compensation Committee strives to implement compensation policies and practices that are consistent with our values and that support the successful recruitment, development and retention of NEO talent so we can achieve our business objectives and optimize our long-term financial returns.

Executive Summary

Our compensation programs are intended to align our NEOs’ interests with those of our stockholders by rewarding performance that meets or exceeds the goals the Compensation Committee establishes with the objective of increasing long-term stockholder value and supporting the shorter-term business goals we believe are necessary to effect such an increase. In line with our pay-for-performance philosophy, the total compensation received by our NEOs will vary based on the financial results of the Company and its business segments as well as progress made against identified strategic and/or operational goals. Our NEOs’ total compensation is comprised of a mix of base salary, annual cash bonuses based on achievement of financial and individual performance goals, and long-term equity awards.

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We employ several practices that reflect the Company’s compensation philosophy:

Establishing and Evaluating Executive Compensation

Executive Compensation Philosophy and Objectives. The executive compensation program has been designed to provide a total compensation package that will accomplish the following objectives:

Over the last several years, we have experienced a significant decline in our stock price. Although management continues to aggressively manage our business to maximize our financial and operating performance, our stock price remains at a low level compared to its historical trading prices. As our result, our directors, executive officers and other valued employees hold “underwater” stock options with exercise prices above (in many cases far above) the recent trading prices of our common stock. The Compensation Committee recently reviewed our executive compensation program, with particular focus on whether our executives’ outstanding equity awards continue to serve our objective of retaining and motivating key talent. As a result of the Committee’s review and in alignment with our compensation philosophy, the Committee took certain actions in early 2020 with respect to our equity compensation to retain and motivate our executives and align their interests with those of our stockholders. See “—Elements of Compensation—Actions Taken in 2020 with Respect to Equity-Based Compensation” for discussion of the recent changes to the equity compensation program.

Role of Compensation Consultants. The Compensation Committee retained Compensation Strategies, Inc. (“CSI”), to provide executive compensation consulting services to the Committee during 2019. CSI provides compensation data, analysis and guidance to the Compensation Committee, which the Committee uses when making decisions regarding our executive compensation programs and establishing the compensation of our executive

officers. Decisions on which CSI advised the Committee during 2019 included approval of the 2019 bonus program, the form and level of equity awards to executive officers, base salary increases, the level of target bonuses for executive officers and the assessment of our directors’ compensation. CSI also updated the market data that the Committee uses as a factor in its compensation determinations. See “Market Comparisons” below. CSI did not perform any other services for the Company in 2019.

Role of Executive Officers. Our Chief Executive Officer participates in Compensation Committee meetings and makes recommendations to our Compensation Committee with respect to the determination of components of compensation (including equity), compensation levels and performance targets for our executives (other than the CEO). The Compensation Committee also meets formally and informally without executive management to discuss its compensation philosophy and approach and makes its decisions regarding NEO compensation in executive session with only its independent consultant and/or outside counsel present.

Market Comparisons. Our Compensation Committee has from time to time used market data as one factor in assessing how our base salary, target short-term incentives, target total cash compensation, actual total cash compensation, target long-term incentives and target total direct compensation compare to those of other companies in our peer group. The Compensation Committee has not targeted compensation to any peer group percentile data, but instead has used peer group data with a goal of providing total compensation opportunities for the NEOs at levels that are competitive with executives in similar positions with similar responsibilities at companies included in our peer group and that fairly compensate our executives. The Compensation Committee, with assistance from CSI, approved an updated peer group of companies in 2018 for use in assessing compensation elements and making compensation decisions for our executive officers. The Compensation Committee used the same peer group in 2019. The peer group is comprised primarily of companies from the Internet software and services industry with a communication focus where possible. Using that peer group (after applying a regression analysis to size-adjust compensation levels to a company with annual revenues equal to the Company’s revenues), CSI provided the Compensation Committee with comparative assessments for our executives’ base salaries, target bonuses, total cash compensation, long-term equity compensation and total compensation.

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The peer group for 2019 included the following 19 companies:

Say on Pay. The Compensation Committee considers the outcome of stockholder advisory votes on executive compensation when making decisions relating to the compensation of our NEOs and our executive compensation programs. At our 2019 annual meeting of stockholders, our stockholders approved the compensation paid to our named executive officers in a nonbinding advisory vote. Approximately 96% of the stockholders who voted on the proposal voted in favor of the proposal. The Compensation Committee believes that the voting results conveyed support for the philosophy, strategy and objectives of our executive compensation program.

Elements of Compensation

Base Salary

We provide a base salary to our NEOs to compensate them in cash at a fixed amount for services rendered on a day-to-day basis during the year. We strive to set base salaries at levels that are competitive with companies included in our peer group for NEOs in similar positions with similar responsibilities. The base salaries of NEOs are reviewed annually and adjusted when appropriate to reflect individual roles and performance as well as market conditions.

2019 Base Salaries. Each of our NEOs received the base salary set forth in the Summary Compensation Table under “Salary.” Each of our NEOs is party to an employment agreement, and pursuant to the terms of each employment agreement, the base salaries are reviewed at least annually. In February 2019, based on a recommendation from Mr. Thorne, the Compensation Committee determined to make no increases to the base salaries of our NEOs, except for Ms. Elias, whose annual base salary was increased to $330,000 from $320,000 to more closely align her total compensation to market pay practices.

2020 Base Salaries. In February 2020, the Compensation Committee determined to make no increases to the base salaries of our NEOs except for Ms. Elias, whose annual base salary was increased to $340,000 from $330,000 to further align her total compensation to market pay practices.

Annual Incentive Plan

We use annual cash incentive bonuses to reward our NEOs for the achievement of Company performance goals. These performance-based bonuses are intended to motivate our NEOs to focus on particular performance measures chosen by the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee chooses performance measures that are aligned with our financial and strategic goals in order to provide incentives to accomplish objectives that the Compensation Committee believes will improve both short-term and long-term stockholder value.

Our NEOs’ employment agreements provide for a minimum target bonus equal to a specified percentage of base salary. In March 2019, the Compensation Committee set the percentage levels of salary to be paid for performance at target levels for Mr. Thorne at 100% and for our other NEOs (except Mr. Rowan) at 75%, the same target levels as in 2018. In recognition of Mr. Rowan’s significant and expected ongoing contributions to the Company, the Compensation Committee determined to increase Mr. Rowan’s target level to 90% from 75%.

2019 Bonus Program. In March 2019, the Compensation Committee approved the Company’s 2019 bonus plan with bonuses to be determined based on achievement against the following three components: (1) corporate (consolidated) financial performance, (2) division (Corporate, CA or BA) financial performance and (3) individual performance. Under the 2019 bonus plan, the bonus payout for each NEO was calculated based on corporate (consolidated) financial performance, except for Mr. Wade, whose bonus was calculated in part based on the corporate (consolidated) financial results and in part based on the CA financial results. The bonuses for Mr. Thorne, Mr. Rowan, Mr. Cobin and Ms. Elias were based (A) 75% on achievement against a consolidated free cash flow (“FCF”)¹ target of $(100) million and a consolidated revenue target of $818 million, and (B) 25% on performance against each of several individual objectives (weighted from 5% to 50%). Given Mr. Wade’s role as President of the CA business unit, his bonus was based 25% on achievement against the corporate (consolidated) financial targets, 50% on achievement against CA financial targets (FCF target of $(131) million and revenue target of $499 million) and 25% on performance against several CA individual objectives (weighted from 10% to 20%).

For each FCF and revenue metric, there is a minimum performance level ranging from 90% to 97% of the low end of the target performance range, depending on the metric. At such level, 50% of the applicable portion of the target bonus is paid, and performance below that level results in zero payout for the applicable portion. There is also a maximum payout of 150% of the applicable portion of the target bonus for each financial metric, achieved at

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performance levels ranging from 102% to 120% of the high end of the target performance range, depending on the metric. The individual objectives were generally designed to pay out at 100% of the applicable portion of the target bonus if the objective was met, although some objectives contemplated a target performance range with payouts from 50% at the low end of the target performance range to 150% at the high end.

Until 2019, the Compensation Committee used adjusted EBITDA and revenue as the primary metrics to measure performance under the bonus plan. For the 2019 bonus plan, the Compensation Committee decided to replace the adjusted EBITDA metric with FCF as it more closely aligns with the Company’s current financial objectives. Our management believes that the use of FCF provides an assessment of cash available, which is an indicator management uses to determine whether current spending decisions need to be adjusted in order to meet financial goals and achieve optimal financial performance. Under the 2019 bonus plan, participants are eligible to receive payouts based on their achievement of individual objectives without regard to whether the targets for consolidated FCF or revenue have been achieved. The Committee determined that this was appropriate in order to promote a sustained focus on strategic and operational goals even where the company’s financial performance is below expectations.

The individual objectives established under the 2019 bonus plan for the NEOs and other members of senior management included goals relating to customer experience, operational excellence, cash management, debt refinancing, strategic goals, talent retention and employee engagement. For Mr. Wade, individual objectives also included CA division goals relating to take-rates, 2Ku aircraft online and linefit programs. Certain individual objectives reflected the corporate objectives identified in the Integrated Business Plan adopted by the Company in 2018, which the Company continues to execute.

Achievements in 2019 against the corporate (consolidated) financial targets established under the bonus plan were as follows:

Achievements in 2019 against the CA financial targets established under the bonus plan were as follows:

In addition, Mr. Thorne, Mr. Rowan, Mr. Wade, Mr. Cobin and Ms. Elias, based on their achievement against their individual objectives under the bonus plan, received payouts of 140%, 139.1%, 91.5%, 89.2% and 118.8% of the associated portion of the target bonus, respectively. Based on the financial and operational objectives achieved, the aggregate payout to each of our NEOs was 143.4%, 143.2%, 134.0%, 130.6% and 137.5% of the target bonus for Mr. Thorne, Mr. Rowan, Mr. Wade, Mr. Cobin and Ms. Elias, respectively. The 2019 bonus amounts paid to our NEOs are set forth in the “Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation” columns of our Summary Compensation Table. While 2019 bonuses were paid to our NEOs and other employees on March 20, 2020, in light of the uncertainty regarding the impact of the novel coronavirus outbreak on Gogo’s liquidity, Mr. Thorne has elected to defer payment of his bonus to a later date in 2020.

Equity-Based Compensation

We believe that equity compensation is a key component of our overall compensation structure and critically important to our ability to attract and retain top talent, and that equity-based awards align the interests of our NEOs with the interests of our equity holders and encourage our NEOs to focus on the long-term performance of our business. Additionally, we believe equity awards provide an important retention tool for our NEOs, as they are subject to multiyear vesting and, in some cases, vesting based on performance goals. Equity awards are granted under the Gogo Inc. 2013 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “2013 Omnibus Plan”), adopted at the time of our 2013 initial public offering, or the Amended and Restated Gogo Inc. 2016 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “2016 Omnibus Plan”).

Equity incentives to our NEOs are provided on an annual basis in the form of a combination of restricted stock units and stock options. In March 2019, the Compensation Committee determined the annual grants for the NEOs. As was the case in 2018, the Compensation Committee determined to grant options and restricted stock units subject to only time-based vesting as well as options and restricted stock units subject to both time-based vesting and performance-based vesting based on a sustained increase in our share price to previously targeted levels.

When it approved the 2019 annual grants, the Committee believed that performance-based vesting would create a longer-term focus on achieving performance goals that are critical to our future success and drive stockholder value, and that options also contribute to a longer-term focus. The Committee further believed that options and performance-based vesting restricted stock units encourage our NEOs to focus on achieving financial results and operational objectives that increase our stock price, and that time-based vesting restricted stock units would assist us in retaining NEOs, as such awards continue to have value even in a down market while still rewarding NEOs for stock price gains. Continuing declines in our stock trading price have since caused the Committee to question the efficacy of our outstanding performance awards in terms of motivating and retaining our executives. See “—Elements of Compensation—Actions Taken in 2020 with Respect to Equity-Based Compensation” for discussion of the recent changes to the equity compensation program. As

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in 2018, all time-based vesting stock options and restricted stock units granted in 2019 are subject to service-based vesting over the four years following the grant date. The performance-based vesting restricted stock units and stock options granted in 2019 are subject to both four-year service-based vesting and performance-based vesting based on achieving a common stock price of $6.50 or above for a period of 30 consecutive trading days within four years of the grant date. See “—Potential Payments upon Termination or Change of Control—Effect of Termination or Change in Control on Equity Compensation” for discussion of the performance conditions.

In determining the size of the equity grants to our NEOs, the Compensation Committee took into account past performance, anticipated contribution to our long-term goals, market data for NEOs in similar roles at peer companies and total compensation of our NEOs as compared to peer companies. The Compensation Committee also considers share usage over time (i.e., “burn rate”) when it makes equity grants generally, in order to employ maximum efficiency in share usage under the equity compensation program while maximizing the retention and incentive elements of the awards. In addition, the Compensation Committee considered the retention value of the NEOs’ outstanding equity awards and determined that the majority of options held by employees were out of the money and were no longer appropriately motivating performance. To further support the retention of our NEOs, the Compensation Committee approved (i) a 50% increase in the number of options and restricted stock units granted as compared to the 2018 equity awards and (ii) a change in the allocation between the time-vesting and performance-vesting components. Thus, the 2019 grants for the NEOs were comprised of 75% time-based vesting awards and 25% performance-based vesting awards (as compared to 50% time-based vesting awards and 50% performance-based vesting awards granted in 2018). Approximately 50% of each NEO’s 2019 awards were restricted stock units and the remaining 50% were options (based on estimated value at the time of grant).

In connection with Mr. Rowan’s expected and ongoing contributions to the Company’s refinancing plan, the Compensation Committee granted him 50,000 time-based vesting options and 50,000 time-based vesting restricted stock units in March 2019, with the first 50% of the awards vesting on December 31, 2020 and the remaining 50% vesting on December 31, 2021. In addition, in April 2019, the Compensation Committee approved an equity grant to Mr. Rowan in recognition of his significant contributions to satisfying and discharging the Company’s obligations with respect to the issuance of the 2024 Secured Notes, commencing a tender offer to repurchase all outstanding 2020 Convertible Notes and setting aside sufficient funds to fully repay the 2020 Convertible Notes. Mr. Rowan’s award was comprised of 50,000 options and 56,999 restricted stock units, each vesting in equal 50% installments on December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2021.

Additional information regarding these and previous grants is found in the Summary Compensation Table, Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table and Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End Table.

Actions Taken in 2020 with Respect to Equity-Based Compensation. In early 2020, in connection with its review of 2019 performance, our Compensation Committee undertook a detailed review of the equity compensation previously granted to our employees, including our named executive officers. In particular, the Compensation Committee focused on the gap in retention and motivation under our equity compensation program arising from (1) a very high percentage of outstanding stock options being “underwater,” i.e., options having strike prices well in excess of the current trading value of our common stock, and (2) the use of performance-vesting metrics which require our common stock to trade well above its current levels in order for the performance vesting to be met. The Committee concluded that the performance conditions of the equity grants were so far from being met that they did not provide an incentive to employees. In addition, a very high percentage of options were far underwater and also did not provide an incentive to employees. Senior management concurred in this conclusion.

We face robust hiring markets and significant competition for our employees (including competition from other providers of in-flight connectivity since our industry requires specific qualifications and experience) and this, combined with the declining price of our common stock over the last several years and the relatively low market value of the equity compensation we can provide as compared to equity packages offered by other companies seeking to hire our employees, has caused the Compensation Committee to be very concerned about retention. This concern was exacerbated by the precipitous decline in our stock that has occurred in the last several weeks, which we believe is attributable to a significant extent to uncertainties about the effect of the coronavirus on business and the economy generally and the travel industry in particular. The Compensation Committee believes that keeping our executives and other key employees and the knowledge and experience they bring to our business is critical as we focus on unlocking the value of our Company. Accordingly, after considering a number of alternatives, in March 2020, the Committee approved the following:

—Subject to stockholder approval at the Annual Meeting, an option exchange program whereby our employees (including our executive officers, but not our non-employee directors) will have the right to exchange vested and unvested underwater stock options for a lesser number of new replacement options that will cliff vest on December 31, 2022. For a more detailed discussion of the option exchange program, please see Proposal 4 – Approval of a Stock Option Exchange Program.

—For 2020 annual equity grants (both options and RSUs), the use of only time-based vesting, rather than a combination of time- and performance-based vesting. In addition, a portion of the RSUs will cliff vest on December 31, 2022.

—The modification of performance-vesting restricted stock units and performance-vesting stock options granted on or after March 14, 2017 to remove any applicable performance-vesting conditions.

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Employment and Other Agreements with NEOs

We have entered into employment agreements with each of our NEOs that include the specific terms set forth below. We believe that having employment agreements with our NEOs is beneficial to us because it provides retentive value and subjects the NEOs to restrictive covenants. See “—Narrative to Summary Compensation Table and Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table—Employment Agreements” for details regarding these agreements.

We have also entered into change in control agreements with each of our NEOs (other than Mr. Thorne) to assure the NEOs that they will be protected in the event of a change in control of the Company. Under the agreements, each of our current NEOs (other than Mr. Thorne) is entitled to receive severance benefits of 18 months of base salary and target bonus, as well as reimbursement of COBRA premiums payable to maintain substantially equivalent health insurance coverage during the severance period, in each case if the NEO is terminated by the Company without cause or the NEO resigns with good reason within two years following a change in control. Additionally, any unvested time vesting awards would immediately become vested upon such termination. The change in control agreements also provide that any unvested performance award will remain outstanding until the applicable normal performance vesting date (or 90 days after such date if the award is a stock option) and will vest or be forfeited based on the satisfaction of the applicable performance goals to the extent that the NEO’s employment would have continued through the applicable normal performance vesting date (with service-based vesting accelerated in full as of the date of termination). The treatment of such performance awards is consistent with the terms of the award agreements for the previously granted performance options and restricted stock units.

Perquisites

We do not generally provide perquisites or personal benefits to our NEOs.

Other Benefits

Our NEOs are eligible to participate in our 401(k) benefit plan and our health and welfare plans on the same basis as our other employees.

Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation

None of our NEOs participate in or have account balances in non-qualified defined contribution plans or other deferred compensation plans maintained by us (although Mr. Thorne holds deferred share units received in respect of his service as a nonemployee director prior to his appointment as Chief Executive Officer on March 4, 2018). See “Director Compensation” for a discussion of the grants to nonemployee directors of deferred share units.

ESPP

To encourage employee investment in the Company, the Company maintains an employee stock purchase plan (“ESPP”) that is intended to qualify for favorable tax treatment under Sections 421 and 423 of the Code. Under the ESPP, our employees, including our NEOs (other than Mr. Thorne who is ineligible to participate because he beneficially owns more than 5% of our common stock), can purchase a limited number of shares at a discount to our market price (currently 10% and capped at 15% under the ESPP).

Other Compensation Practices and Policies

Stock Ownership Guidelines. Under our stock ownership guidelines, each of our NEOs is required to maintain a minimum equity stake in the Company, determined as a multiple of the NEO’s base salary (three times salary for our CEO and two times salary for each of our other NEOs) and converted to a fixed number of shares. Until the NEO reaches the minimum required level of stock ownership, the NEO is required to retain 50% of the net shares received through exercise of stock options, vesting of restricted stock or other stock-based compensation, granted on or after December 12, 2011. “Net shares” are those shares that remain after shares are sold or netted to pay withholding taxes and, in the case of stock options, the exercise price.

Policy Regarding the Timing of Equity Awards. While we have not adopted a formal policy regarding the timing of equity awards, including stock options and restricted stock units, our Compensation Committee typically determines these awards at March Compensation Committee meetings. In 2020, the Compensation Committee’s March meetings occurred prior to the announcement of our earnings for 2019 and our Compensation Committee approved annual awards to our key employees with a grant date set as a specified number of days after earnings were announced, subject to the employee’s continued employment through such date. The exercise price of options was based on the trading price of our stock on the grant date which reflected the information we shared in our earnings announcement. We plan to continue this practice in future years in cases where the meeting at which the Compensation Committee approves annual awards occurs prior to the announcement of our earnings for the previous year.

Policy Regarding Clawbacks. In June 2019, the Compensation Committee adopted a formal clawback of compensation policy. Under the policy, the Company may recover incentive compensation (bonus payments and/or equity awards) paid or granted on or after June 10, 2019 to covered employees (including our NEOs) in certain circumstances. Such recoveries may occur: (1) in the event of a later restatement of financial results due to fraud, misconduct, gross negligence of an individual with respect to the individual who engages in such conduct, (2) with respect to individuals who commit specified acts of misconduct and (3) irrespective of whether any individual has committed misconduct, to the extent that, based on inaccurate financial or other information, an award or payment is in excess of what would have been paid absent such inaccurate information.

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Tax Deductibility. Our board of directors has considered the potential future effects of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code on the deductibility of executive compensation paid to our NEOs. Section 162(m) places a limit of $1 million on the amount of compensation that a publicly held corporation may deduct in any one year with respect to its chief executive officer, chief financial officer and each of the next three most highly compensated executive officers. Prior to 2017, where appropriate, we sought to qualify certain of the compensation paid to the covered named executive officers for an exemption from the deductibility limitations of Section 162(m) under the qualified performance-based compensation exemption. Recently enacted legislation makes certain changes to Section 162(m), including repealing the exemption for qualified performance-based compensation for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017. Accordingly, compensation paid after 2017 to our covered executive officers in excess of $1 million will not be deductible unless it qualifies for transition relief applicable to certain arrangements in place as of November 2, 2017. In light of these changes, the Compensation Committee has authorized compensation payments that do not comply with exemptions under Section 162(m) in order to attract, retain and motivate talented executives.

Compensation Committee Report

The Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis included in this proxy statement with members of management, and based on such review and discussions, the Compensation Committee recommended to the board of directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this proxy statement.

2019 Summary Compensation Table

The following table sets forth information regarding compensation earned by our NEOs during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019.

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2019 Grants of Plan-Based Awards

Set forth below is information regarding plan-based awards granted to our NEOs during 2019.

Narrative to Summary Compensation Table and Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table

Time-Based Vesting Option Awards

Time-based vesting options granted in 2019 under the 2016 Omnibus Plan have a ten-year term. The options (other than Mr. Rowan’s recognition options) are scheduled to vest

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in 25% increments on the first four anniversaries of the grant date, generally subject to continued employment with the Company through the applicable vesting date. See “—Potential Payments upon Termination or Change of Control” including the discussion under “—Potential Payments upon Termination or Change of Control—Effect of Termination or Change in Control on Equity Compensation” for a discussion of the effect of termination and change in control on option vesting. See “—Elements of Compensation—Equity-Based Compensation” for a description of Mr. Rowan’s recognition options.

Time-Based Restricted Stock Units

Time-based restricted stock units granted in 2019 (except for Mr. Rowan’s recognition RSUs) under the 2016 Omnibus Plan are scheduled to vest in 25% increments on the first four anniversaries of the grant date, generally subject to continued employment with the Company through the applicable vesting date. See “—Potential Payments upon Termination or Change of Control” including the discussion under “—Potential Payments upon Termination or Change of Control—Effect of Termination or Change in Control on Equity Compensation” for a discussion of the effect of termination and change in control on restricted stock units vesting. See “—Elements of Compensation—Equity-Based Compensation” for a description of Mr. Rowan’s recognition restricted stock units.

Performance Option Awards

Performance options granted in 2019 under the 2016 Omnibus Plan are subject to both time- and performance-based vesting conditions. They time vest in 25% increments on the first four anniversaries of the grant date (generally subject to continued employment with the Company) and are subject to the additional vesting condition that the per share closing price of the Company’s common stock on the Nasdaq market at some time during the period beginning on the grant date and ending on the fourth-year anniversary of the grant date equals or exceeds $6.50 for a period of 30 consecutive trading days. Any performance option that has not vested by the fourth anniversary of the grant date will be forfeited. See “—Potential Payments upon Termination or Change of Control” including the discussion under “—Potential Payments upon Termination or Change of Control—Effect of Termination or Change in Control on Equity Compensation” for a discussion of the effect of termination and change in control on performance option vesting and “—Elements of Compensation—Equity-Based Compensation” for a discussion of the effect of the modification on the performance-based vesting criteria for the performance options.

Performance Restricted Stock Units

Performance restricted stock units granted in 2019 under the 2016 Omnibus Plan are subject to both time- and performance-based vesting conditions. They time vest in 25% increments on the first four anniversaries of the grant date (generally subject to continued

employment with the Company) and are subject to the additional vesting condition that the per share closing price of the Company’s common stock on the Nasdaq market at some time during the period beginning on the grant date and ending on the fourth-year anniversary of the grant date equals or exceeds $6.50 for a period of 30 consecutive trading days. Any performance restricted stock unit that has not vested by the fourth anniversary of the grant date will be forfeited. See “—Potential Payments upon Termination or Change of Control” including the discussion under “—Potential Payments upon Termination or Change of Control—Effect of Termination or Change in Control on Equity Compensation” for a discussion of the effect of termination and change in control on performance restricted stock unit vesting and “—Elements of Compensation—Equity-Based Compensation” for a discussion of the effect of the modification on the performance-based vesting criteria for the performance restricted stock units.

Employment Agreements

We have entered into employment agreements with each of our NEOs. Information regarding such agreements is set forth below. From time to time, the Compensation Committee has approved changes to an NEO’s title, base salary or bonus target, but the respective employment agreement is not amended to reflect such changes. See “Compensation Discussion and Analysis—Introduction” for the current titles of our NEOs and “—Elements of Compensation” for information about the base salary and bonus targets for each NEO during 2019.

Oakleigh Thorne. In March 2018, we entered into an employment agreement with Mr. Thorne, pursuant to which he agreed to serve as our President and Chief Executive Officer. The employment agreement set Mr. Thorne’s base salary at $700,000, and provides that the salary will be reviewed at least annually and not reduced by more than 10% of his then-current base salary unless as part of an overall compensation reduction at the Company that impacts the salaries of all executives. The employment agreement specifies that Mr. Thorne is eligible for an annual bonus with a target of 100% of base salary, with the amount of such bonus to be determined by the Compensation Committee. Mr. Thorne’s employment agreement also provides that he is eligible to participate in all normal Company benefits, including the Company’s 401(k), retirement, medical, dental and life and disability insurance plans and programs, in accordance with the terms of such arrangements.

In connection with his commencement of employment, Mr. Thorne received a $150,000 cash payment to cover his relocation-related expenses and was reimbursed for $25,000 of his legal expenses in connection with the negotiation of the terms of his employment.

Mr. Thorne’s employment is for no specific term and either the Company or Mr. Thorne may terminate Mr. Thorne’s employment at any time, with or without cause. If Mr. Thorne’s employment is terminated by the Company without cause or if Mr. Thorne

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resigns for good reason, Mr. Thorne will not be entitled to severance but, subject to Mr. Thorne executing a general release of all claims against the Company and to his continued compliance with the restrictive covenants in the employment agreement, he will be entitled to (i) a pro rata portion of his annual bonus for the fiscal year in which his termination occurs based on actual results for such year, (ii) continued vesting of the options and any other equity awards then held by Mr. Thorne on the schedule set forth in the applicable option or other equity award agreement for 12 months following his termination, and (iii) continued exercisability of any vested options then held by Mr. Thorne for 12 months following his termination. He would also be entitled to payment of any earned but unpaid salary and any business expenses incurred but not reimbursed. Mr. Thorne is subject to noncompetition and non-solicitation covenants for one year after leaving the employment of the Company.

Barry Rowan. In April 2017, we entered into an employment agreement with Mr. Rowan, pursuant to which he agreed to serve as Executive Vice President, Finance and, on May 4, 2017, as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. The employment agreement set Mr. Rowan’s annual base salary at $450,000, and provides that the salary will be reviewed at least annually and not reduced by more than 10% of his then-current base salary unless as part of an overall compensation reduction at the Company that impacts the salaries of all executives. The employment agreement specifies that Mr. Rowan is eligible for an annual bonus with a target of 75% of base salary, with the amount of such bonus to be determined by the Compensation Committee. The bonus is based upon the achievement of objectives established by the Compensation Committee. Mr. Rowan’s employment agreement also provides that he is eligible to participate in all normal Company benefits, including the Company’s 401(k), retirement, medical, dental and life and disability insurance plans and programs in accordance with the terms of such arrangements.

In connection with his commencement of employment and relocation, Mr. Rowan received a starting bonus of $100,000, which was subject to repayment if his employment terminated prior to April 24, 2018. Mr. Rowan was also entitled to receive reimbursement of temporary housing expenses for 60 days, as well as reimbursement of other reasonable and customary moving and relocation expenses if he purchased a home in Chicago within 14 months of his start date. Additionally, in accordance with Company practice for senior executives, Mr. Rowan received reimbursement of taxes associated with the payment of certain housing and relocation expenses. Mr. Rowan also received reimbursement of his attorney’s fees in connection with the negotiation of his employment agreement.

Mr. Rowan’s employment is for no specific term and either the Company or Mr. Rowan may terminate Mr. Rowan’s employment at any time, with or without cause. If Mr. Rowan’s employment is terminated by the Company without cause or if he resigns for good reason, Mr. Rowan will be entitled to (i) continuation of his base salary for 12 months following his termination, (ii) reimbursement for COBRA premiums due to maintain substantially equivalent health insurance coverage for 12 months following his termination,

(iii) payment of any earned but unpaid salary, (iv) payment of any business expenses incurred but not reimbursed and (v) payment of any approved but unpaid bonus award. The payment of (i) and (ii) above will be contingent on Mr. Rowan executing a general release of all claims against the Company. Mr. Rowan is subject to noncompetition and non-solicitation covenants for one year after leaving the employment of the Company.

John Wade. We entered into an employment agreement with Mr. Wade in October 2008 pursuant to which Mr. Wade agreed to serve as our Senior Vice President and General Manager—Business Aviation Services. We amended the agreement effective January 1, 2009, April 1, 2015 and November 30, 2017. The employment agreement set Mr. Wade’s annual base salary at $190,000, and required that the salary be reviewed at least annually and not reduced by more than 10% of his then-current base salary unless as part of an overall compensation reduction at the Company that impacts the salaries of all executives. The employment agreement specifies that Mr. Wade is eligible for an annual bonus with a target of 30% of base salary, with the amount of such bonus to be determined by the Chief Executive Officer and subject to the approval of the board of directors. Mr. Wade’s employment agreement provides that he is eligible to participate in all normal Company benefits, including the Company’s 401(k), retirement, medical, dental and life and disability insurance plans and programs in accordance with the terms of such arrangements.

Mr. Wade’s employment is for no specific term and either the Company or Mr. Wade may terminate Mr. Wade’s employment at any time, with or without cause. If Mr. Wade’s employment is terminated by the Company without cause or he resigns for good reason, Mr. Wade will be entitled to (i) continuation of his base salary for one year following his termination, (ii) reimbursement for COBRA premiums due to maintain substantially equivalent health insurance coverage for one year following his termination, (iii) payment of any earned but unpaid salary and accrued but unused paid time off, (iv) payment of any business expenses incurred but not reimbursed, and (v) payment of any approved but unpaid bonus award. The payment of (i) and (ii) above will be contingent on Mr. Wade executing a separation agreement containing a general release of all claims against the Company. Mr. Wade is subject to noncompetition and non-solicitation covenants for one year after leaving the employment of the Company.

Jonathan B. Cobin. In April 2010, we entered into an employment agreement with Mr. Cobin, pursuant to which he agreed to serve as Senior Vice President, Project and Operations Management. We amended Mr. Cobin’s agreement effective November 30, 2017. The employment agreement set Mr. Cobin’s annual base salary at $245,000, and provides that the salary will be reviewed at least annually and not be reduced by more than 10% of his base salary as of the reduction date unless as part of an overall compensation reduction at the Company that impacts all executives. The employment agreement specifies that Mr. Cobin is eligible for an annual bonus with a target of 40% of base salary, with the amount of such bonus to be determined by the Chief Executive Officer, subject to the approval of the board of

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directors. The bonus is based upon the achievement of both personal and corporate performance objectives. Mr. Cobin’s employment agreement also provides that he is eligible to participate in all normal Company benefits including the Company’s 401(k), retirement, medical, dental and life and disability insurance plans and programs in accordance with the terms of such arrangements.

Mr. Cobin’s employment is for no specific term and either the Company or Mr. Cobin may terminate Mr. Cobin’s employment at any time, with or without cause. If Mr. Cobin’s employment is terminated by the Company without cause or he resigns for good reason, Mr. Cobin will be entitled to (i) continuation of his base salary for 12 months following his termination, (ii) reimbursement for COBRA premiums due to maintain substantially equivalent health insurance coverage for 12 months following his termination, (iii) payment of any earned but unpaid salary and accrued but unused paid time off, (iv) payment of any business expenses incurred but not reimbursed and (v) payment of any approved but unpaid bonus award. The payment of (i) and (ii) above will be contingent on Mr. Cobin executing a separation agreement containing a general release of all claims against the Company. Mr. Cobin is subject to noncompetition and non-solicitation covenants for one year after leaving the employment of the Company.

Marguerite M. Elias. We entered into an employment agreement with Ms. Elias in January 2008 pursuant to which Ms. Elias agreed to serve as Senior Vice President and General Counsel. We amended the agreement effective December 31, 2008 and November 30, 2017. The employment agreement set Ms. Elias’ annual base salary at $220,000, and required that the salary will be reviewed at least annually and not reduced by more than 10% of her then-current base salary unless as part of an overall compensation reduction at the Company that impacts the salaries of all executives. The employment agreement specifies that Ms. Elias is eligible for an annual bonus with a target of 30% of base salary, with the amount of such bonus to be determined by the Chief Executive Officer and subject to the approval of the Company’s board of directors. Ms. Elias’ employment agreement provides that she is eligible to participate in all normal Company benefits, including the Company’s 401(k), retirement, medical, dental and life and disability insurance plans and programs in accordance with the terms of such arrangements.

Ms. Elias’ employment is for no specific term and either the Company or Ms. Elias may terminate Ms. Elias’ employment at any time, with or without cause. If Ms. Elias’ employment is terminated by the Company without cause or she resigns for good reason, Ms. Elias will be entitled to (i) continuation of her base salary for one year following her termination, (ii) reimbursement for COBRA premiums due to maintain substantially equivalent health insurance coverage for one year following her termination, (iii) payment of any earned but unpaid salary and accrued but unused paid time off, (iv) payment of any business expenses incurred but not reimbursed, and (v) payment of any approved but unpaid bonus award. The payment of (i) and (ii) above will be contingent on Ms. Elias executing a

separation agreement containing a general release of all claims against the Company. Ms. Elias is subject to noncompetition and non-solicitation covenants for one year after leaving the employment of the Company.

Each of the employment agreements (as amended) define cause as the NEO’s (i) willful gross misconduct or gross or persistent negligence in the discharge of his duties, (ii) act of dishonesty or concealment, (iii) breach of the NEO’s fiduciary duty or duty of loyalty to the Company, (iv) material breach of the confidentiality restrictions or covenants not to compete contained in the employment agreement, (v) any other material breach of the employment agreement that is not cured within 30 days, (vi) commission of one or more acts of substance abuse which are materially injurious to the Company, (vii) commission of a criminal offense involving money or other property of the Company (excluding traffic or other similar violations) or (viii) commission of a criminal offense that would constitute a felony under the laws of the state of Illinois (for Mr. Thorne, Mr. Rowan, Mr. Cobin and Ms. Elias) and Colorado (for Mr. Wade) or the United States. Our NEOs’ employment agreements (as amended) define good reason as (i) a reduction by the Company in the NEO’s base salary beyond that permitted under the terms of the employment agreement or a reduction in his or her target bonus, (ii) a material diminution in the NEO’s duties or responsibilities, (iii) the NEO ceasing to report to the board of directors, in the case of Mr. Thorne only, (iv) the relocation of the NEO’s principal place of employment to a geographic location greater than 30 miles, in the case of Mr. Thorne, or 50 miles, in the case of the other NEOs, from the Company’s headquarters, or (v) any material, uncured breach by the Company of its obligations to the NEO under the employment agreement.

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Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End

The following table summarizes the outstanding equity awards held by each of our NEOs as of December 31, 2019: