AeroBid is a new live bidding platform that connects private jet operators with aircraft charter brokers on a global scale. AeroBid has the potential to fix so many frustrations in our industry, for brokers and operators alike.
Using data and instant communications, it brings a fast, transparent and convenient way for brokers to request charters for their clients, and for operators to take back control of their time by only receiving and bidding on live flight requests that are relevant to them. It’s designed by brokers and operators, for brokers and operators, and it’s revolutionising our industry.
How did you come up with the idea for the company?
I’m passionate about private aviation, and acutely aware of the challenges it’s facing – I’d been in several high-profile roles in the sector over the years before I launched AeroBid, and have seen first-hand the obstacles that are holding the industry back. I knew that if we wanted our industry to thrive in a changing global landscape, we had to develop a better way for brokers and operators to secure charters. I came up with AeroBid as a data-driven solution to the industry’s biggest problems: a way for brokers to reach a huge pool of operators in an instant and a way for operators to fill their schedules (including those troublesome empty leg journeys) without needing to wade through extensive admin and quotations.
The beauty of AeroBid is that it’s convenient for both parties. Brokers submit detailed flight requests, which reach hundreds of operators in an instant. Operators can then select the flights that best suit their operations and bid for those journeys in real time. Operators can also receive instant notifications on flights that are most appropriate to them, such as an airport or a destination that matches an ‘empty leg’ journey (these are flights between booked charters that don’t carry any passengers, and a source of frustration and inefficiency in the sector).
With demand for private aviation booming, brokers and operators are facing unprecedented pressure and disruption, it’s transparent that the industry needs AeroBid to sustain its growth. It’s also going to help private aviation customer get better value on their flights.
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How has the company evolved over the last couple of years?
Well, it’s completely new – we launched in April this year, but we’re already seeing sign-ups to the platform rapidly escalating every month. We have, however, already added new features in that time, including geographical search options that allow operators to receive alerts for countries, not just airports. This allows operators to broaden their search criteria, which is especially useful for filling empty legs, as operators could choose to collect passengers from destinations close to, or on the way back from, their last drop off.
Our goal has always been to make sure the platform is as flexible as possible, which is why we’ve been offering users to join for free as part of our Beta testing period, to hear their feedback and make the necessary changes. We hope we can keep evolving to better serve our users’ needs long into the future.
What can we hope to see from AeroBid in the future?
Our vision is for AeroBid to become the new standard in how brokers and operators secure their charters in the very near future. We want to create a focussed work environment for air charter professionals to do what they do best: sell private charter flights, save time and provide better value to their customers. We’re under no illusion that to achieve this, we need to reach a critical mass of participants interacting on the platform, every day.
It won’t happen overnight, but I know it’s an industry crying out for digital change, and I’m confident brokers and operators will continue to sign up as they see others in the industry benefiting from the platform.
