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, UK, & US). [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]

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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.
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