VISTA

Radar

Competitive Brief · Week of 4 May 2026

Skywise names Japan Airlines as first post-merger Mission+ reference; Garmin Pilot adds SmartCharts SUN 'n FUN arrival.

The Skywise newsroom names Japan Airlines as the first post-merger Mission+ DOC Manager customer reference, and the Skywise support portal has rebranded customers as 'Skywise customers,' confirming the branding transition is underway. Garmin Pilot added a SmartCharts VFR arrival procedure for SUN 'n FUN, reinforcing SmartCharts as a Premium-tier differentiator. SkyDemon remains at v4.2.5; v4.3.0 with US runway metrics is still pending. NexAtlas continues to add Brazil-specific features (NOTAM no Mapa, NexMarket) without an English-market push.

Competitive intelligence

03

Reviews pulse

G2 & Gartner Peer Insights: competitor reviews and star deltas this week.

Daily · last 7 days · 24 reviews
06

Earnings call mentions

Whenever an airline or OEM names a competitor on a public call.

  • Delta · Q1 2026 call2d
    "…we've expanded our partnership with NavBlue to cover the entire 717 fleet's flight-planning stack."
  • GE Aerospace · Q1 2026 call5d
    "…NavBlue's engine-data analytics now feed directly into our digital MRO platform."
  • United · Q1 2026 call8d
    "…we are evaluating two predictive-maintenance platforms, including ForeFlight's MRO module."
Per-call · 22 issuers · SEC + IR transcripts
08

M&A & funding tracker

Aviation-software deals: who raised, who got bought, valuation if disclosed.

Daily · PitchBook · Crunchbase · 8-K filings
09

Traffic forecast

IATA & ICAO RPK growth projections by region. Anchors the TAM your decks lean on.

Monthly · IATA WATS · ICAO LTF · ATAG
10

Defense procurement watch

National budgets and contract awards relevant to military aviation customers.

Daily · DoD CAR · UK MoD · DGA · TED Defence
11

Labor pulse

Pilot & MRO technician hiring, training pipeline, and shortage estimates.

Monthly · BLS · Boeing PTO · Oliver Wyman · CAE IR

Brand & demand intel

12

Ad creative library

What competitors are actively running on LinkedIn, Meta and Google. Their real positioning bets, not aspirational decks.

Daily · 4 platforms · 11 competitors
13

SEO share of voice

Average rank of competitors on the top 50 category keywords. Weekly delta.

Weekly · 50 keywords · Semrush + Ahrefs
15

Trade media editorial calendar

What Aviation Week, Flightglobal and ATW plan to cover next quarter so PMM can pitch in early.

Q-quarterly · 6 outlets · editor contacts on file
17

Glassdoor watch

Competitor ratings and review themes (layoffs, burnout, leadership). Talent and culture intel that often precedes strategic moves.

  • ForeFlight 3.9 ★ −0.18 "layoffs", "RIF" trending
  • Garmin Aviation 4.2 ★ ±0.02 "slow promotions" recurring
  • SkyDemon 4.4 ★ +0.08 "flexible", "small team"
  • NavBlue 3.6 ★ −0.22 "reorg", "leadership churn"
Weekly · 11 employers · theme-clustered

By Competitor

Garmin Aviation GRMN

Product

  • April 8, 2026: Garmin added a SmartCharts VFR arrival procedure for SUN 'n FUN (Lakeland Parker arrival) to Garmin Pilot Premium subscriptions, and included the procedure in the 2604 database cycle for GPS navigators. SmartCharts are a Garmin Pilot Premium-tier feature providing dynamic, clutter-reduced procedural charts. AvBrief
  • Q1 2026 product highlights (reported April 29, already in prior brief): HondaJet Elite II FAA-certified as first twin-turbine business jet with Emergency Autoland; Daher TBM 980 unveiled with G3000 PRIME suite. No new avionics certifications announced in the week of May 4. Garmin Q1 2026 earnings

Pricing / Packaging

  • Garmin Pilot subscription tiers unchanged: Standard $79.99/yr, Premium $149.99/yr. SmartCharts VFR arrival procedures are a Premium-tier feature. No core avionics SKU/price changes detected this week. Garmin Pilot

Hiring signal

Titles sourced from Glassdoor and LinkedIn aggregators; not exhaustive. Filtered to aviation-tagged roles only.

  • Active aviation-specific open roles visible in Olathe, KS as of early May 2026: Software Engineer 1 - Embedded Aviation, Cartography Technician 1 - Aviation, Aviation Pilot Data Analyst, Human Factors Design Engineer (also Chandler AZ), Executive Administrative Assistant - Aviation. Breadth of titles spans embedded software, cartography, human factors, and data analytics, consistent with steady avionics and EFB product expansion. Glassdoor

Financial / Exec commentary

  • Q1 2026 (reported April 29, 2026, covered in prior brief, no new data this week): aviation segment revenue $264M, +18% YoY; aviation gross margin 75%, operating margin 27%, operating income $71M. Garmin Q1 2026 press release

NavBlue / Skywise EADSY

Product

  • Post-merger customer reference confirmed: Japan Airlines is integrating Mission+ DOC Manager into its flight operations for aircraft manual management. This is the first named airline customer reference published on the Skywise newsroom after the April 1, 2026 merger. Skywise newsroom
  • The Skywise support portal (navblueacademy.support.navblue.aero) was updated April 10, 2026 and now refers to customers as 'Skywise customers,' confirming the branding transition is underway at the support layer. Skywise Academy support
  • The new Skywise entity positions itself across three domains: flight operations (leveraging NavBlue legacy), technical operations (predictive maintenance), and ground operations (turnaround management). The skywise.com product page confirms the Digital Alliance includes Delta, GE Aerospace, Liebherr, and Collins as partners. Skywise product page

SkyDemon

Product

  • No new release this week. Current version remains v4.2.5 (released March 13, 2026 for Windows/Android; iOS release date approximate per Apple approval process). The SkyDemon Windows download page confirms v4.2.5 as current as of retrieval. SkyDemon Windows download · SkyDemon version history
  • v4.3.0 remains in development (no ship date). Planned features per version history: redesigned What's Here screen, scrollable airspace stack, runway TORA/TODA/ASDA/LDA for Germany and USA, Find Best Altitude on PC. SkyDemon version history

Pricing / Packaging

  • No pricing changes detected. Personal subscription: $139 first year, $115 annual renewal; covers 2 PCs and 2 mobile devices. Monthly option available. SkyDemon store

NexAtlas

Product

  • February 3, 2026: NexAtlas launched 'NOTAM no Mapa' (graphical NOTAM visualization), allowing pilots to tap a NOTAM and see the affected area rendered geometrically on the map. NexAtlas claims to be the first Brazilian EFB to offer precise NOTAM visualization directly on the map. Covers both aerodrome NOTAMs and airspace NOTAMs (FIRs, TMAs). NexAtlas blog
  • NexAtlas simulator integration (NexAtlas Link) supports Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024, and X-Plane 10, 11, and 12, available to all subscribers at no extra cost. This is a differentiated feature for the flight-training and sim community in Brazil. NexAtlas simulator page
  • NexMarket (launched September 2025 per LinkedIn post): free aeronautical services catalog integrated into the platform, listing fueling, hangaring, and maintenance contacts organized by aerodrome. Positions NexAtlas as a marketplace layer beyond pure EFB. NexAtlas LinkedIn
  • Platform claims 3 million-plus flights planned and 2 million hours saved, per the plans page. No independent verification of these figures. NexAtlas plans page

Pricing / Packaging (BRL)

  • Plans page shows entry pricing from R$33.33/month (annualized). Piloto Aluno (student) and Profissional tiers confirmed active; Empresarial (10-plus accounts) on custom quote. AOPA Brasil members receive 15% discount on subscription and renewal. NexAtlas plans · NexAtlas benefits
  • No 2026 price increase detected. Prior brief listed Profissional at R$39.90/mo; the simulator page references plans from R$33.33/mo, suggesting the student tier may be the entry point at that rate. Exact per-tier BRL prices not confirmed from the plans page this cycle due to dynamic rendering. inferred

Markets

–
BA +2.74%
Boeing
$237.36
EADSY -0.32%
Airbus
$52.92
RTX -0.39%
RTX
$176.09
GE -1.81%
GE Aerospace
$297.15
HEI +1.01%
Heico
$292.52
TDG -2.17%
TransDigm
$1215.08
DAL +0.30%
Delta
$73.33
UAL -0.12%
United
$99.58
AAL +1.29%
American
$13.35
LUV -0.19%
Southwest
$41.31
ALK +0.62%
Alaska
$40.84
JBLU -0.39%
JetBlue
$5.11