What a show! The dust is only just beginning to settle after a brilliant NBAA in Orlando last week. The Avinode team had been intensely preparing to celebrate great industry milestones, company record-breaking and the launch of a new solution set to change the future of business aviation… once more. “Oh you Swedes, you’ve done it again!” was heard more than once in our booth at the industry’s biggest event of the year.
The event started on Media Day, the day before the official event Day One, with our press conference to announce the launch of our new company PayNode – the world’s first payment solution created specifically for the business aviation market. Avinode Group CEO, Niklas Berg, welcomed the room full of media attendees and noted when Avinode was founded, it was with the grand ambition to pull the printed directory-bound charter industry into the digital world, with the vision of making it as easy to book a private jet as it is to book a commercial flight. Fifteen years on, Avinode is universally accepted as responsible for revolutionizing the way the charter industry operates. With the addition of sister company SchedAero in 2011, a modern, web-based flight scheduling system, and now the arrival of PayNode, the Avinode Group presents an unrivalled, end-to-end solution for the charter space.
PayNode Global Business Director, Magnus Henriksson, walked media through the current laborious and time-intensive payment process, before demonstrating the ease, speed and security of using PayNode – the whole payment process can be completed with just a few clicks. The presentation was met with cheers of, “Finally!” and “How soon can we use it?” The answer: now.
Shy Aviation Sales Director, Derek Damgaard commented: “Shy Aviation was one of the first companies to sign up for PayNode because we trust the Avinode brand. We can be confident that development from the Avinode Group will improve our processes because they understand what we need.”
As the event unfolded over the next three days, our members were surprised and curious as to why the usual green Avinode booth and Noder staff had suddenly turned orange…
Though in true Noder style, there were clues all around the exhibition hall…
Tavaero Jet Charter Charter Sales Executive, Myles Din said: “One thing I love about Avinode is that it’s never stagnant; you are always moving and trying to build a better product for your clients, that’s something that complements the Tavaero way of working.”
Visitors were asked to join in the fun through our paper plane competition. The 1st winner was announced at our Champagne mingle: Aerie’s Cassio Pollifrom Brazil managed to craft a paper plane that flew 91 feet. He was very pleased to know he would soon be flying about on a hoverboard. (If you would like to help the 2nd winner, simply ‘like’ the best #makingpaymentsfly entrant photo on our Instagram; the person with the most ‘likes’ by 1st December 2016 will win another hoverboard)
There were also celebrations as the Avinode Marketplace has hit a new record in powering 2.3 million end-client searches through members using Avinode Web Apps and APIs. Avinode Co-Founder and US Managing Director, Per Marthinsson, noted: “ A few years ago, people were sceptical about the idea of high-net-worth customers wanting to book a private jet through a website or on their phone. But we can see this is where the industry is heading and we are thrilled Avinode can provide our members with the technology to meet this growing consumer appetite.”
This combined with the fact there are now half a million trip requests sent through the Marketplace on a monthly basis highlights the company is growing at a rapid pace and the future is looking very bright indeed.
Horizon Air Group Co-Founder and CEO, Luis Barros said: “Horizon Air Charter prides itself on quality and service, and we know the level of polish of Avinode products is one we can pass along. Avinode has the full suite of tools for professionals in the charter industry.”
Thank you to all our co-exhibitors and members for making NBAA 2016 such an exceptional event, and of course thanks to everyone who came to visit our booth – we are so pleased to be part of such a successful global network. As the sun lowered on the Orlando palms at the end of last week, with happy hearts and weary feet, we packed up and walked away from Orlando till next time. We’re now looking forward to what the next few months has in store. Watch this space!
The Avinode Team
