Recently, while developing our own company brochure, we spent some time looking at our own customers needs and aligning our team’s expertise and skillsets to them. In doing so we identified 5 critical factors that every business or private aircraft owner should consider when looking for a partner to manage their aircraft. Here are the critical factors we determined:
1. Leadership and Trust
You’ve got a business to run and you don’t need the distractions that come with managing your aircraft. When you’re the best at what you do, you need the same level of performance from the people who manage your corporate or personal aircraft. Select a firm that has the right kind of accessible leadership to keep you and your team traveling while you focus on what matters – running your business and looking after your clients anywhere in the world.
2. Knowledge
Only experience can deliver the knowledge and skill necessary to operate smoothly, safely and effectively. Look for a partner who has spent the necessary years in the industry to develop specialized, custom processes and action plans to cover all aspects of aircraft ownership including Flight Operations and Training, Ground Operations OCC, Safety, Compliance, Maintenance/CAMO and Charter. Someone who knows that every situation in the business of flight is different and requires customized solutions. There are no “off the shelf” answers. So you need a partner with senior leadership team members who are available on a 24/7 basis so you can get real solutions in real time.
3. Full service with cost structures that make sense.
Look for a team that can avoids the red tape and complicated pricing you may have experienced elsewhere. For example, are they flexible enough to offer aircraft management services for a fixed fee with full transparency so you know exactly what you are getting and what the real costs are? Do they have a support system that can deliver full service and expertise while at the same time minimizing costs across the board for fuel, maintenance, training and even tax and legal fees? These are all reasonable things for you to ask for.
4. Maintenance and Oversight Control
Do they have a full contingent of Maintenance/CAMO experts who will focus on delivering what you need to operate with complete confidence? Is their commitment to safety, performance and customer service clearly their primary focus? Look for CAMO certified partners who are FAA, EASA-145 MRO approved with maintenance teams available 24/7 who will keep you informed through easy to understand automated maintenance tracking programs regardless of where in the world your aircraft may be.
5. Safety, Security and Operational Excellence
Find a partner who is organized to communicate, plan and execute based on your needs. Look for appropriate full time staffing and global support teams to ensure 24/7/365 availability for all of your aircraft and crew needs including dispatch, fuel handling and other key services. Are they set up to operate an FOS System for communications, processes and planning while effectively managing human factors and competence?
These are the top 5 points we found to be absolutely necessary for providing the professional aircraft management services that business and private owners need. If you’ve got others, let us know or if you’d like a copy of our brochure, just call us!