PrivateFly

Last updated
PrivateFly
IndustryAviation
FounderAdam Twidell & Carol Cork
Headquarters
United Kingdom
Key people
Adam Twidell CEO
Servicesprivate jet charter, Jet Card, City Pairs
OwnerDirectional Aviation
Parent Directional Aviation
Website privatefly.com

PrivateFly is a global private jet charter broker company with websites covering 19 countries: (Australia, Canada, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, UAE, United Kingdom, and the United States). [1] The company's main headquarters are in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. The company is a member of ACANA, [2] BACA, [3] EBAA [4] and NBAA [5] aviation industry bodies. In 2018 PrivateFly became part of Directional Aviation's OneSky portfolio of companies. [6]

The company uses technology to disrupt the traditional jet charter brokering model launching a website with online estimates and quotes, [7] and also offering apps for iPhone, iPad [8] and Android [9] devices.

It provides a white-label service [10] and partners with several companies including Lastminute.com, [11] Manchester Airport Group [12] and Addison Lee. [13]

History

PrivateFly was launched in 2008 by ex-RAF and NetJets pilot, Adam Twidell [14] and Carol Cork. [15]

The company expanded and had several veteran figures from the travel industry on the board including Martin George [16] and Damon de Laszlo. [17]

It received awards including the Smarta's Top 100 small businesses for 2010, [18] Best Business Award "Best Innovation", [19] Flight Global's Site of the Year Webbies award [20] and Everline Future 50. [21]

PrivateFly was listed 4th in The Sunday Times Fast Track SME Export Track 100 (Britain's SMEs with the fastest-growing international sales) [22] and 46th in The Sunday Times Fast Track Tech Track 100 (Britain's fastest-growing private technology companies). [23]

In 2011, it raised a £2 million investment through several investors [24] to help further develop their European expansion. [25]

In 2016, the company opened an office in Fort Lauderdale, Florida [26] It became the first UK Argus Certified Broker in 2016. [27]

PrivateFly runs an annual poll to find the Top 10 Airport Approaches. Previous winners include Sion Airport,[ citation needed ] Barra Airport, [28] Sint Maarten Airport, [29] Queenstown Airport, [30] Nice Airport [31] and Malta Airport. [32]

In September 2018 PrivateFly was acquired by the Directional Aviation OneSky group. [33]

In August 2020, PrivateFly launched a new Private Jet Card offering guaranteed aircraft availability and fixed hourly private jet prices for flights in the Europe and USA. [34]

In 2022, PrivateFly has reported a record-breaking increase in jet card sales for the first quarter of this year, experiencing a 258% surge in demand compared to the same timeframe last year. [35]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Business jet</span> Jet-powered executive transport aircraft

A business jet, private jet, or bizjet is a jet aircraft designed for transporting small groups of people, typically business executives and high-ranking associates. Business jets are generally designed for faster air travel and more personal comfort than commercial aircraft, and may be adapted for other roles, such as casualty evacuation or express parcel deliveries, and some are used by public bodies, government officials, VIPs, or even the military.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Techniques d'Avant Garde</span> Luxembourg aviation company

TAG Group (Holdings) S.A. is a private holding company based in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. The name 'TAG' is an acronym of Techniques d'Avant Garde. The company generates revenue through its various subsidiaries that offer products and services in the business aviation, motorsports, hospitality, consumer products and real estate industries.

NetJets Inc. is an American company that sells fractional ownership shares in private business jets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air charter</span> On-demand air transportation method

Air charter is the business of renting an entire aircraft as opposed to individual aircraft seats.

Fractional ownership of aircraft is an arrangement in which multiple owners share the use and costs of purchasing and operating an aircraft. Several management companies provide fractional ownership programs for aircraft, including NetJets, Flexjet, Cirrus Aviation Services, and AirSprint. Alternatively, owners can join together to purchase their aircraft, independently of any management company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Embraer Legacy 450/500 and Praetor 500/600</span> Brazilian mid-size business jets

The Embraer Legacy 450/500 and Praetor 500/600 are a family of mid-size and super mid-size business jets built by Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer. The aircraft family was launched with the Legacy 500 in April 2008 and were the first jets in the size category to feature a flat-floor stand-up cabin and fly-by-wire.

VistaJet is a global business aviation company founded in 2004 by Thomas Flohr. The firm flies between any two points, under a "pay for hours flown" fare structure.

PlaneSense is a fractional aircraft ownership program managed by PlaneSense, Inc. and based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, United States. As of the beginning of 2020, they managed a civilian fleet of 44 total program aircraft, made up of 36 Pilatus PC-12 aircraft and five Pilatus PC-24 jets. The PlaneSense fractional program provides private air transportation, primarily within the United States, Canada, Mexico, The Bahamas, the islands of the Caribbean and more recently, Cuba. PlaneSense guarantees departure times as soon as eight hours after a flight request, depending on the size of the aircraft share owned for domestic flights on non-peak days. PlaneSense, inc. is not, itself, an air charter provider or commercial air carrier, but charter flights can be arranged through its sister company, Cobalt Air.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">XOJET Aviation LLC</span> Private airliner provider service

XO is a US-based private aviation company and subsidiary of Vista Global with its headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. XO, with a worldwide fleet access of more than 1,450 private aircraft, offers clients on-demand private jet charters with fixed-price membership programs as alternatives to jet cards and fractional ownership of aircraft. The company also offers the ability to purchase individual seats on pre-arranged, shared flights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flairjet</span> British charter operator

FlairJet Limited is an affiliate company of Flexjet and operates the remanufactured Nextant 400XTi.

Kenneth C. "Kenn" Ricci is an American aviation entrepreneur, the principal of Directional Aviation Capital, which owns or invests in various aviation enterprises including Flight Options and Flexjet, where he is chairman. He is an operating partner at Resilience Capital Partners, a private equity firm with a variety of portfolio companies, including an investment in Flight Options, and has helped found or lead other companies, including Nextant Aerospace and Constant Aviation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aerion AS2</span> Cancelled supersonic business jet by Aerion Corporation

The Aerion AS2 was a proposed supersonic business jet that was being developed by Aerion Corporation. In May 2014, it was announced that the Aerion AS2 would be part of a larger Aerion SBJ redesign, which aimed for release after a seven-year developmental period. Aerion partnered with Airbus in September the same year. In December 2017, Airbus was replaced by Lockheed Martin. Its General Electric Affinity engine was unveiled in October 2018. In February 2019, Boeing replaced Lockheed Martin. Development stopped when Aerion ceased operations in May 2021.

A jet card is a private aviation product that enables holders to use different aircraft at agreed-upon fixed hourly rates. Jet cards are offered by large and small fleet operators and charter brokers. There are as many as 65 variables between jet card companies, according to Private Jet Card Comparisons, a buyer's guide to jet card programs.

Michael J. “Mike” Silvestro is the chief executive officer (CEO) of Directional Aviation's private fractional aviation travel businesses, which include Flexjet and Flight Options two of the world's three largest fractional jet companies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">JSX (airline)</span> Regional airline of the United States

JetSuiteX, Inc. is an American air carrier in the United States and Mexico that describes itself as a "hop-on jet service" that operates point-to-point flights between and within Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, and Texas in the United States and Baja California Sur in Mexico.

LunaJets is a private jet broker with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, where it has been based since it was founded in 2007 by former Ogilvy advertiser Eymeric Segard. Additionally, they have opened offices throughout the years in London, Paris, Monaco, Riga and Dubai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stratajet</span> English company for booking private jets

Stratajet is an online private jet booking company, servicing 44 countries in Europe and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flexjet</span> Airline of the United States

Flexjet is an American provider of fractional ownership aircraft, leasing, and jet card services. Founded in 1995 as a division of Bombardier Aerospace, it is currently owned by Directional Aviation, an aviation private investment firm.

Avinode Group is a Swedish B2B technology company focused on business aviation. It specializes in operating the Avinode Marketplace, an online marketplace for private air charter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephanie Chung</span> American business executive

Stephanie Chung is an American business executive who was the first African American to serve as president of a private aviation company in the United States. She was president of JetSuite from August 2018 to April 2020. In August 2020, Chung became the inaugural chief growth officer of Wheels Up. She previously held executive roles at Bombardier Aerospace, SkyJet Airlines, and Flexjet.

References

  1. ↑ Spranklen, Annabelle. "Young billionaires seek out bigger, long-range private jets during the pandemic". Tatler. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
  2. ↑ "Private Fly". Air Charter Association of North America. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  3. ↑ "PrivateFly Ltd". Baltic Air Charter Association. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  4. ↑ "Membership". European Business Aviation Association. Archived from the original on 25 March 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  5. ↑ "Premium Listings". National Business Aviation Association. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  6. ↑ "Flexjet, Sentient Jet Parent Acquires Technology Driven Private Jet Charter Broker PrivateFly". 5 September 2018.
  7. ↑ "The hottest website in travel?". The Times. 23 May 2008. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  8. ↑ "PrivateFly launches iPhone application for private jet charter quotes". Elite Traveler. 3 February 2010. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  9. ↑ "PrivateFly.com launches android app for instant private pricing on the move". Handbook of Business Aviation. 20 July 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  10. ↑ "Private jet website touts white label deals". Travel Industry Digest. 12 October 2009. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  11. ↑ "Lastminute.com offers private jet charters". Travel Weekly. 15 July 2010. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  12. ↑ "Manchester Airport Group, first in UK to offer online private jet booking service". Eva International Media Ltd. 4 May 2010. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  13. ↑ "Taxi jets to Europe target high-flyers". London Evening Standard. 22 September 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  14. ↑ "How I made it: Adam Twidell, founder of PrivateFly". The Sunday Times. 8 September 2013. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  15. ↑ "Carol Cork on starting private jet booking platform PrivateFly.com". Vitesse Media. 12 June 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  16. ↑ "PrivateFly announces Board changes to support new expansion phase". BlueSkyNews. 25 August 2016. Retrieved 25 Aug 2016.
  17. ↑ "PrivateFly Ltd". DueDil. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  18. ↑ "St Albans jet company scoops awards". Great British Life. 2010-06-23. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
  19. ↑ "Privatefly.com bags double award win". Global Business Jet. 1 March 2010. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  20. ↑ "Webbies 2010: privatefly.com scoops website of the year in the Flightglobal Webbies". Flightglobal. 4 February 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  21. ↑ "Everline Future 50: PrivateFly". Real Business. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  22. ↑ "The Sunday Times Fast Track SME Export Track 100: PrivateFly". Fast Track. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  23. ↑ "The Sunday Times Fast Track Tech Track 100: PrivateFly". Fast Track. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  24. ↑ "Private Jet Booking Network PrivateFly.com Raises £2 Million". TechCrunch. 28 September 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  25. ↑ "PrivateFly Launches in France, Germany & Central Europe". The Convention News Co. 14 June 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  26. ↑ "Charter Broker PrivateFly Opens U.S. Office". Fly Corporate. 24 May 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  27. ↑ "PrivateFly goes for Broker". AIN Online. 19 April 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  28. ↑ "The world's top 10 most scenic airport approaches and landings". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  29. ↑ Fox, Linda (January 29, 2013). "Geek alert – heavenly descents or top 10 airport approaches". Phocuswire.
  30. ↑ "World's 10 most scenic airport approaches". CNN . 24 December 2015.
  31. ↑ "Nice Côte D'Azur Airport wins top spot in annual poll conducted by PrivateFly". Nice Airport. 13 May 2014. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  32. ↑ "World's 10 most scenic airport approaches for 2016". CNN . 21 April 2016.
  33. ↑ "PrivateFly Joins Flexjet, Sentient Jet in Directional Aviation Family – Robb Report". Robb Report. 12 September 2018.
  34. ↑ "Corporate Jet Investor" . Retrieved 2021-02-24.
  35. ↑ "PrivateFly jet card sales soar by 258%". Business Airport International. 2022-04-07. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.