By Oliver King | CEO of Avinode Group
Technology has long shaped business aviation, improving the flow of information, strengthening communication, and making work more manageable. In an industry defined by precision and timing, it’s no surprise that AI is seen as the next step.
But even as technology evolves, the fundamentals of air charter remain the same. It’s still a high-value, time-sensitive, and deeply human business.
That’s why the panel at CJI, “The State of Business Jet Charter”, focused on a more practical issue: not whether automation has a place in air charter, but how much responsibility it should carry. The conclusion? AI should strengthen human decision-making, not replace it.
A broader industry perspective
Outside business aviation, the broader commercial travel industry has gradually shifted its focus. The conversation is no longer centered around chatbots, but on systems working quietly in the background, identifying changes early, and adjusting options as conditions evolve.
While full autonomy may sound compelling in our industry, most are not pursuing it. Instead, they are building human-in-the-loop models: AI systems that help prepare, monitor, and improve the process, while a person stays responsible.
Take sourcing aircraft. Instead of scanning listings and sending dozens of requests, AI can quickly surface aircraft that fit the charter. The technology speeds up the search, but the broker still makes the call, weighing the operator relationship, the client’s preferences, and the specifics of the trip.
The tools may be new, but the way of working isn’t all that different. Long before AI entered the conversation, brokers and operators were already adjusting plans as availability shifted, prices moved, and client schedules changed. In other words, reviewing options and making real-time changes has always been part of the job.
AI can follow the same logic. Today, a person sits behind every decision, and while AI may take on more of the workload in the future, not everything will be automated. Humans will still carry the responsibility. That’s why the goal isn’t to change the charter model, but to strengthen the way it already works.
Where AI meets reality
While the potential is real, so are the limits.
Air charter is constantly changing. Aircraft availability can shift within hours, and priorities can change mid-conversation. This is where implementing AI is not as simple, since end-to-end automation works best in stable, repeatable environments.
There is also a structural reality to consider. Air charter is not only about logistics, it’s a service business built on trust. That means, as Julie Black, Head of Business Aviation at Hunt & Palmer, put it: “no amount of friendly, smart-sounding chatbots are going to provide the level of reassurance the clients want”.
The point is not to dismiss technology, but to clarify its role. Air charter is not simply about processing information efficiently. It relies on judgment and experience, especially when decisions affect safety, reputation, and cost. In that context, being right most of the time, like AI, is not enough.
What AI should do – and what it shouldn’t
At its most effective, AI reduces friction in the workflows we encounter everyday. It takes on repetitive tasks and keeps track of what’s happening across the market, from prices to aircraft availability and schedules. Rather than replacing people, it gathers relevant information faster and more consistently than any individual could do alone.
In the panel discussion, the emphasis was on applying that capability with care. Structured, reliable AI systems can support scale without compromising oversight, while keeping client relationships where they belong: with people.
The result is a more deliberate way of working. It starts with the data already within the business. Availability trends, pricing movements, demand signals, and performance metrics are not new. AI makes it so that information can be organized and acted on with greater precision.
Built on trusted data, AI moves from reactive support to informed foresight. Patterns surface earlier. Risks are identified sooner. Opportunities in pricing, positioning, and demand are less likely to be missed.
Used in this way, AI strengthens control rather than reducing it.
The next chapter for air charter
At CJI London, the message was clear and practical. Air charter is not moving toward full automation, nor will it remain manual.
This phase of AI adoption is less about acceleration and more about definition. The teams that move forward successfully will use technology to work faster, without losing what sets them apart. Scale and personalization are not opposites. With reliable data and good judgment, they support each other, while keeping client relationships at the center of every transaction.
Because in a business built on trust, responsibility cannot be automated.
About Oliver
As CEO of Avinode Group, Oliver works closely with the business aviation community to help move the industry forward through smarter technology. With more than 25 years in aviation and over a decade focused on business aviation, he brings practical experience and a clear view of how the market really works. A restless Brit living in Sweden, Oliver likes to stay in motion both mentally and physically. Outside of work, you will likely find him running sailing competitions, travelling somewhere new, or exploring new ideas and perspectives.