So, your company has purchased or is thinking about purchasing a private jet. Research has been done, experts have been consulted and the efficiencies of having your own corporate aircraft outweigh or at least balance the associated costs. From the ability to access hundreds or even thousands of airports that commercial flights don’t – to easily moving people and equipment on a schedule that dramatically reduces down time in favour of productivity, the company sees that the benefits are endless.
But wait. Not so fast. Having that private jet requires a lot more than just purchasing the product and hiring a pilot. There are hundreds of other items that need to be in place including operating the aircraft legally and safely, which means meeting global standards for everything from the air pressure in the tires to understanding laws surrounding geographically controlled airspace.
To do that, you’re going to need a team of experts. After all, you’re an expert at all the things your company does, but operating an aircraft is not likely to be one of them. So, your company should probably hire an aircraft management provider. There are lots of providers that operate individual aircraft or fleets for companies like yours, but how will you know who to choose? Here are 4 tips that will help guide you:
- Talk to them. Find out how their team is organized and managed and determine what they are going to do to make your life easy as it relates to operating your aircraft. Who will your direct contact be? Will they be able to keep you up to date and can they respond quickly whenever needed? What are their procedures for this?
- Do they know your particular aircraft?What experience do they have with it? Are they conversant with the manuals and standard operation procedures?
- Are they expertly organized?Do they have systems and procedures for technical management, maintenance control, planning and quality control? Do they have the staff and resources who will fulfill these duties?
- Do they offer transparency?Are they set up for key administrative duties like record keeping, budgeting, payment services etc and will these be reported clearly and transparently?
This is just a way to start the conversation of course, but it’s a good list to help guide you and to let candidate providers know that you’re doing your homework and that you will only work with professionals who meet your standard.