The boss of global aviation services group Air Partner said companies need to avoid slipping back into old pre-pandemic ways. 

“The winners [in travel] are going to be those who remain flexible with their cancellations – are you going to retain the conditions introduced during the pandemic? It’s what customers will expect now,” said Mark Briffa, chief executive officer. 

Briffa maintained there was still likely to be high demand for private flying, even as commercial airlines rebuild their schedules.

“We are still seeing new entrants, customers, those who still don’t want to risk taking a normal flight: it’s all about reducing exposure [to the virus] – that does drive people’s decision making,” he highlighted. “Some people don’t want to mix, they want the exclusivity of private jet travel. We see two families travelling together for example, rather than all travelling business class on scheduled flights.”

Agents will also be very welcome to take advantage of the bump in demand via collaboration with companies such as Air Partner, he said.

“We’re all for working with agents, and being able to provide private jet options ensures you can give the client the full package. At the same time, we appreciate we at Air Partner can only touch one part of the whole customer experience – so we are happy to work together from that concierge perspective to make sure we can all exceed clients’ expectations together,” Briffa said.

“People have less time than ever and there is even more opportunity for a service role, as long as you can make the touch points efficient and seamless. Adding value to the whole customer experience and collaboration and partnership will be key.”

He said Air Partner had had another strong year across the business, but not just private flying. “How we are involved in global events is very interesting from evacuation, to freight deliver of vaccines – we act as global service.”

Big performing destinations for Air Partner last year included the Maldives, Middle East, Spain – especially Ibiza, Malaga and Palma – and Croatia, while ski routes have also picked up, but with very late bookings. “Uncertainty drives behaviour, and we are still in a position of last-minute government decisions over protocol changes,” he said about the current winter season.

Briffa said the company’s JetCard offering had seen great interest, whereby customers bank time, buying chunks of hours to use when they need to, often at short notice, especially during the pandemic when travel restrictions may have changed very quickly.

“It really appeals to the leisure market, with people usually buying around 10-25 hours, and seeing how they get on with that and then topping up,” he explained, adding there was always flexibility, money return if desired and no add-ons.

He predicted there could still be bumps in the road to recovery however, such as ability to build back travel infrastructure and recruit enough staff.

“There really could be a great year ahead for travel, but the challenge will be to scale up infrastructure – that will be key, while trying to attract and keep good people back to the industry,” Briffa said.

He has also been navigating the acquisition of Air Partner by BidCo, a newly-incorporated company indirectly owned by Wheels Up Experience Inc.

The acquisition by BidCo values Air Partner’s share capital at approximately £84.8 million and is expected to close later in the first quarter subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals.

Briffa said he thought further consolidation in the sector was also likely to follow. “This is a very active market with a lot of consolidation in the supply side – we’ve been seeing a lot of this in the US and it’s likely to happen in Europe too.”

Another key focus will be the company’s ESG (environmental, social, and governance) objectives, which are being constantly reviewed and developed, Briffa said, such as its opt-out carbon offset programme; for every flight booked, carbon emissions are automatically included.

“We decided to make it opt-out, rather than opt-in and most customers – from corporate to HNWIs – understand this,” he said. “Via our work with Climate Care, we are making a valuable contribution, and overall, I’m comfortable with what we are doing, but yes, we are always looking at what else we could do.”

Air Partner has also been announced as the Preferred Private Jet/Travel Partner supporting the Platinum Jubilee Pageant in celebration of The Queen’s 70-year reign this year.

“We’re so proud to be linked to this, as it is a great opportunity from the customer side and from the company point of view, and we feel as though we are aligned with the values of what the Queen stands for – this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us,” Briffa told TTG Luxury.

He said the involvement also allowed for alignment with other luxury brands such as Burberry, Moet & Chandon, along with British household names such as John Lewis and M&S.

Air Partner will also be placing renewed focus on the opportunity to capture the growth in pet ownership, as affluent owners look to travel with their four-legged friends.

On many commercial airlines, only animals small enough to fit under the seat can travel in the cabin and Air Partner is highlighting how PPE transportation and global supply chain challenges last year meant reduced availability of space on aircraft, leading to the need by some affluent consumers to look to private travel to transport pets.

“The way we travel is changing, with more clients booking longer stays and blurring work with holiday and family time, which means that clients will want to ensure they can take their pets with them for their trips,” Mark Aldridge, chief marketing officer at Air Partner, added.