October 20, 2024
AeroVanti is on the verge of acquiring a Part 135 operator that will add seven turboprops, light, and midsize jets to its current fleet of five Piaggio P.180s. It is also planning an order for up to 72 new aircraft from Piaggio and is launching a Top Gun guaranteed availability tier with limited availability. The 2021 start-up is boosting customer service as it seeks to keep up with the demand that is five-fold higher than anticipated.
In a wide-ranging interview with Private Jet Card Comparisons, founder and CEO Patrick Britton-Harr says he expects its various initiatives to provide more availability for members and faster response time for both current customers and prospects.
In July and June, its five P.180s operated by Brazos Valley Air are all clocking over 100 flight hours, and its flight calendar is currently full through the middle of September, he says.
First up is the acquisition of a Part 135 operator that will bring a combination of seven turboprops, light, and midsize jets. He expects the deal to be announced in early September.
Britton-Harr says AeroVanti is currently in negotiations with Piaggio for an order of the fast-turboprops. The order will be for up to 72 of the P.180 EVOs. That deal could be finalized by mid-October.
In the meantime, the Annapolis, Maryland-based start-up is seeking to accommodate the needs of high-volume flyers. It is launching the tier under the banner Top Gun.
Members buy 150 hours of flight time to be used within 12 months at $1,995, plus Federal Excise Tax. In return, they get guaranteed availability with seven days’ notice, including if AeroVanti needs to go off-fleet. There will be no surcharge for flights west of the Mississippi. Monthly membership fees which range from $1,000 to $2,500 are also waived. Top Gun will be limited to 30 members.
So far AeroVanti has “onboarded” 100 members and had over 500 membership inquiries. Prospects need to apply, and several readers have reported delays in response or no response. There have also been issues with availability, something Britton-Harr says the acquisition will ease.
He says the goal is to provide members the ability to generally find availability with at least two weeks’ notice. Members are able to reserve up to a dozen flights at a time.
A partnership with a ground service and hospitality provider will bring 15 customer service agents. They will handle everything from catering to ground transportation and hotel bookings. Britton-Harr says the goal is to cut response time for members from 24 hours to one hour.
A side benefit is members will get the cost of one month’s dues towards ground transportation.
In addition to the East Coast, Texas and Colorado are top markets for members. A push to build membership on the West Coast is next.
Britton-Harr says the company has secured $5.4 million of financing out of its $6 million raise. He says it is fully committed.
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