Avinode Group

Category Archive: Press releases

  1. Avinode Group unveils new Scandinavian-inspired booth at NBAA 2018

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    NBAA-BACE, Orlando, 15 October 2018: Avinode (Booth #4114), a leading technology and data partner for the business air charter industry, is announcing it will bring a new, Scandinavian-inspired booth to Florida for NBAA-BACE 2018.

    Avinode will unveil its new booth, which pays homage to its Swedish heritage, to the 25,000 visitors expected to attend the event this year. 

    Alexandra MacRae, head of marketing, Avinode Group says: “At NBAA this year, we want to showcase our Swedish heritage which reaffirms the entrepreneurial and innovative spirit that has driven the development of Avinode, whilst also bringing our smart solutions to life. Visitors to our stand will get a true sense of what it’s like to be Swedish – a holistic experience made possible by our natural Swedish energy.”

    Avinode’s booth boasts a stage for presentations and ‘Node talks’ by Avinode Group ‘Noders’ including the executive, management and development teams, as well as event partners. Visitors will also be able to enjoy product demo stations, a central visitor ‘energy bar’ where attendees are invited to top-up on a selection of refreshments, four meeting rooms and event partner areas. There are also four self-navigational interactive screens and a large video display screen spread throughout the booth. 

    MacRae continues: “The Avinode Group is at the center of business aviation, providing industry-leading sourcing and booking platforms, cutting-edge operations software and the industry’s first online payment platform. We push digital boundaries, maximizing the success of businesses in the industry, and we want our booth to reflect that. By providing energy and the opportunity to share knowledge, form business relationships and explore new possibilities, the Avinode Group booth will be the natural hub of NBAA and other industry conventions we attend. We look forward to welcoming everyone to our stand.”

  2. Real evidence of US business aviation recovery, says Avinode

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    NBAA-BACE, Orlando, 15 October 2018: Harry Clarke, senior commercial analyst at business aviation technology leader and data partner Avinode Group, says the North American industry is finally recovering after many difficult years. 

    Speaking ahead of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Convention and Exhibition in Orlando, Florida, Clarke says: “We are seeing real evidence, not just hope, of business aviation genuinely fighting back – globally, in Europe and, critically, in the key market of North America. After the long-term negative impact of the global financial crisis of 2007-2008, industry statistics are now showing a very positive sign – sustained growth. 

    “We’ve been analyzing flight requests submitted through Avinode [for the period 14 August 2017 – 14 August 2018, compared to the previous 12 months] and the results are very encouraging,” continues Clarke. “The growth shown reflects both increased industry activity and increased use of Avinode. Our data reveals, for example, all the leading North American [US and Canadian] destinations are enjoying increased demand for private air charter traffic.” 

    Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport is the most requested North American destination for flights originating in North America (and also seventh on the list for flights originating outside North America). New York/New Jersey’s Teterboro Airport (2), Los Angeles’ Van Nuys Airport (3), Miami-Opa locka Executive Airport (4) and Washington DC’s Dulles International Airport (5) complete the top five of the most requested North American airports for ‘domestic’ flights. 

    Every airport in the top 10 has shown year-on-year growth in demand, with highlights including McCarran (up 75%, from 53,871 requests to 94,522 requests); Teterboro (up almost exactly 100%, from 45,930 requests to 91,805 requests); and Van Nuys (up 103%, from 30,572 requests to 62,156 requests). 

    When passengers are flying intercontinentally, into North America, Teterboro (1), Opa locka Executive (2), Los Angeles International (3) and Van Nuys (4) are the four most requested arrival airports. 

    Again, every airport in the top 10, for requests from passengers flying intercontinentally into North America, has shown year-on-year growth in demand. Teterboro, for example, has seen requests rise from 21,604 to 33,804 (up 56%), with Opa locka Executive seeing demand rise from 5,736 requests to 13,768 requests (up 140%). 

    Looking at the aircraft themselves, Clarke says: “We are seeing rising numbers of charter requests for large-cabin, long-range and ultra-long-range aircraft. The Bombardier Challenger 604 is the most requested aircraft type for intercontinental flights from North America, alongside five Gulfstream aircraft in the top 10. For flights within North America, the Hawker 800XP is currently the most requested aircraft type, as was the case last year.” 

    “A sense of renewed and justified optimism is building throughout the industry. Not only are we watching statistical growth in business aviation, we are also seeing critical changes in the way the industry operates. The question of whether customers will book private charter flights online has been answered. They do. As such, mobile phones will undoubtedly play an increasingly important role in business aviation and I expect to see a growing number of bookings being made through smartphone apps. The challenge ahead is to improve business aviation’s online offering to be as seamless and transparent as the digital services provided by the rest of the travel industry.” 

    The Avinode Group is exhibiting at Booth 4114 at the NBAA Convention and Exhibition in Orlando from October 16-18 2018.

  3. Avinode Makes Online Charter Sales Easy with Improved Web Apps

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    Gothenburg, Sweden, 15 October 2018: Business aviation technology leader Avinode is today launching two upgraded web apps to further improve the company’s online service for buying and selling charter flights. 

    The breakthrough new web apps make searching for flights and empty legs even easier than before, benefiting not just operators and brokers but – critically – their customers too. 

    Per Marthinsson, Founder, EVP, Avinode Americas, says: “We’ve improved our ‘Full Search’ and our ‘Empty Leg Search’ web apps. The upgrades mean buying and selling air charter online is now simpler and quicker than ever before. If you’re an operator or broker, and you want more leads, these products are perfect for you.” 

    Operators and brokers can add the ‘Full Search’ application to their websites, with or without the ‘Empty Leg Search’ option, offering their customers an air charter search portal powered by Avinode. 

    Marthinsson continues: “Both apps can easily be customized by brokers and operators, whose clients will use our technology and comprehensive data to search for flights and empty legs but only see the branding of the broker or operator in question. Setting everything up is incredibly quick and easy. You basically just decide where you want the application to appear on your website. 

    “We’re helping our clients take even more control of their operations and generate even more leads. Operators and brokers can allow their existing customers, and critically their potential new customers, to search for and request charter flights and empty legs from anywhere in the world at any time. In the increasingly personalized travel industry, ensuring customers find the best fit for their private air charter needs has never been more important or, with these web apps, easier. Such a user-friendly process means operators and brokers will soon start attracting leads they would otherwise never have found.” 

    Monitoring the activity on the web apps – a capability only available in the new, upgraded versions – will help users review and revise their marketing strategies accordingly, maximizing the conversion of website visitors to customers. 

    Companies can also set up the ‘Empty Leg Search’ to allow their clients to look only for empty legs within their own fleet or to search for empty legs across the entire Avinode system. 

    “These new web apps yet again demonstrate how Avinode is equipping businesses in the industry to succeed,” concludes Marthinsson. “We have the needs of the business aviation community in mind and want to lead the way to a more digitized and therefore better-connected industry.”

  4. Bizav brokers risk falling behind using legacy processes

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    Avinode adds chat feature to digital platforms

    EBACE, Geneva, 29th May 2018: Pioneering bizav technology leader Avinode (EBACE booth D69) is inviting European charter brokers to adopt and enjoy the workflow benefits of the company’s TripManager sales management system, rather than rely on legacy processes. 

    Avinode says brokers globally, and especially in the US, consistently report improved workflow when using TripManager. Avinode wants to ensure European brokers do not miss out on the benefits being enjoyed by their counterparts. 

    Oliver King, CEO of the Avinode Group, says: “Seeing our game-changing technology drive the industry forward is incredibly exciting and rewarding. We understand some European brokers feel comfortable using long-established processes but those legacy solutions are painfully slow and inefficient now. If you don’t make changes soon, you risk falling behind your competitors. 

    “We want all our European customers to know how quickly and easily they can upgrade to TripManager, the only sales management system designed specifically for business aviation charter brokers. The benefits of the system include automating repetitive data entry tasks, whether planning flights, creating professional quotes rapidly or managing and updating the customer database. As all Avinode platforms are integrated, including PayNode, you only ever need to input information once. All the key data is held in one place, accessible 24/7 from anywhere in the world. The end result is what all brokers want – increased conversion rates, better productivity and a growing business.” 

    Brokers praise “excellent” TripManager

    Early adopters of TripManager love how the product improves their workflow. 

    Michael J. Ogulnik, chief executive officer of California-based private aviation broker Quantum Jets, says: “TripManager is one of the most valuable tools we use. All our trips are neatly organized and can be called up for reference in a matter of seconds, allowing us to easily manage upcoming trips and look back instantly at a client’s history.” 

    Luis Barros, founder and chief executive officer of Texas-based Leviate Air Group (formerly Horizon), agrees, saying: “TripManager is excellent in keeping all our trip information in one place. If anything happens to one of our team, someone else can step in and get to work on the trip without skipping a beat.” 

    Giles Vickers-Jones, chairman of UK-based international business aviation charter broker SHY Aviation, adds: “TripManager has definitely improved our efficiency and streamlined our business. We use TripManager to provide us with all client-facing information, from quote proposals to contracts and invoices.” 

    Read more about TripManager here. 

    Avinode’s new messaging feature

    Avinode’s product range is constantly being improved, leading to even higher levels of customer satisfaction and rising numbers of users. 

    New for May 2018 is a messaging/chat feature which can be used on Avinode’s desktop and mobile platforms. Brokers and operators can now instantly connect to discuss trip details with all the necessary information easily at hand, rather than needing to rely on phone or email contact. The many questions when arranging a private flight, from: “Will golf clubs fit on this aircraft?” to: “Will there be a VIP limousine waiting on arrival?”, can be asked and answered through the messaging service. Misunderstandings and missed communications can be minimized. 

    King says: “Switching between emails, phone calls and text messages when trying to confirm trips can be difficult and confusing. This new service simplifies and centralizes the process. Our customers have been calling for messaging and, as ever, we’ve listened. We love bringing new features to the market, so we’re really excited about this service. Over 600 messages were sent on the first day alone [May 7]. And the positive immediate feedback from our customers, including their social media comments, tells us we’ve had an instant success with instant messaging.”

  5. Avinode reports encouraging growth for European business aviation

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    EBACE, Geneva, 28th May 2018: The latest figures from pioneering bizav technology leader and data partner Avinode (EBACE booth D69) are showing a healthy rise in demand for European business jet charter.

    Oliver King, CEO of the Avinode Group, says: “As an industry, we have just experienced our best growth in a decade in Europe and another strong growth year in the US. Taken together, we are on a high of activity in the sector.” 

    Analyzing flight requests submitted through Avinode’s online marketplace for buying and selling private air charter, for the year April 1 2017-March 31 2018, all the leading European destinations are showing increased demand for intra-European traffic. 

    France remains the most popular destination for intra-European business aviation flights, representing 20% of this market. Demand to fly to France rose from 379,771 requests in the year April 1 2016-March 31 2017 to 480,891 requests for the year April 1 2017-March 31 2018 (up 27%). The UK (325,433 requests, up 36%), Spain (321,898 requests, up 44%), Italy (316,032 requests, up 37%) and Switzerland (162,244 requests, up 33%) complete the list of the top five intra-European destinations. 

    King says: “France remains the biggest player in European private aviation, although the UK is closing the gap and enjoys much higher traffic levels to and from the US. The substantial growth in demand for travel to Spain, after so many difficult years for the country economically, is great to see. 

    “The strength of the British and French markets is also shown in the fact London Luton Airport-Nice Côte d’Azur Airport is the most popular intra-European route,” continues King. “And Spain should take confidence from the fact Ibiza Airport was the destination for four of the 20 most requested intra-European routes in the year to March 31 2018, with all four of those routes growing in popularity over those 12 months.” 

    The Cessna Citation Mustang is the most requested business aircraft for intra-European flights. In fact, Cessna Citations fill all five top spots on this list, with the Mustang being followed by the CJ2, XLS, CJ2+ and the XLS+. 

    King adds: “The number of small jets listed on Avinode by European operators continues to grow. When looking at the entry-level jet, light jet and super light jet categories combined, for example, the numbers rose by 4% between April 2017 and April 2018.” 

    Flights from Russia dominate traffic into Europe from outside Europe, representing 66% of requests in this market. Away from Russia and the CIS, departures from the US (6% of the market) and Saudi Arabia (4%) lead the way for requests for business aviation flights arriving into Europe from outside Europe. 

    Four of the six most requested business aircraft types, when flying into Europe from outside Europe, are Bombardier Challengers. The Challenger 604 leads this market, with a 6% share, followed by the Embraer Legacy 600. 

    King says: “Every day, across 89 countries, users log in to Avinode, SchedAero and PayNode to support their customers. Over the last 12 years, 20m searches have been made on Avinode as buyers look for the best charter option. Much has changed over that time. The question of whether customers will book online has been answered. They will and they do. The challenge for us as an industry is to provide the seamless and transparent service that defines the rest of the travel business. We can’t wait to play our part in this challenge.” 

    King cautions, however, that uncertainty is growing on what the future holds. “We have seen a sustained period of wealth creation across the globe, combined with significant investment in digital charter models in both the US and Europe. Potential trade disputes, political uncertainty in the US and UK, as well as rising oil prices, threaten growth, particularly in the luxury leisure market of Europe.” 

    As seen on Aviation International News.

  6. Series of senior hires showcases high-calibre tech talent at Avinode

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    Business aviation technology company Avinode is announcing the latest in a series of tech-driven appointments to its senior leadership team over the past 12 months, with the latest promotion of Saskia de Jong to Director of Sales Americas. 

    De Jong, previously US Key Account Sales Manager, will be based at Avinode’s office in Miami. She joins a global senior leadership team which also includes Annika Abraham, who was herself promoted to Managing Director, EMEAA (Europe, Middle East, Africa & Asia), Avinode, in 2017 after six years as CFO. 

    Abraham says: “We are thrilled that Saskia has taken up this role, bringing her extensive knowledge and six years of experience of the Avinode platforms to the senior leadership team. This is a particularly exciting time for us as we continue to innovate new tools and products across the entire Avinode Group. Saskia will bring a wealth of insight and fresh ideas regarding the interplay between technology and sales to our growing team.” 

    De Jong says: “Heading up the sales team at Avinode is a fantastic opportunity, and I am particularly pleased to have taken up this role considering Avinode’s commitment to seeking out and nurturing tech-driven talent. Pinpointing those with a strong background in tech, who understand our changing digital landscape, illustrates the forward-looking perspective that has propelled Avinode to becoming the technological forerunner in business air charter: an outlook which will continue to be reflected in the company’s products, client services and strategies, as well as in our workforce.” 

    Also joining de Jong and Abraham in the senior management team is Alexandra MacRae, who spent six years working at the forefront of digital marketing before becoming Avinode’s Head of Marketing in July 2017. Other senior leadership appointments include Jenne Reed, who was appointed Senior Vice President, Commercial Development & Delivery in April 2017. Prior to Avinode, Reed developed innovative tech solutions for sales force automation at British Airways. 

    The Avinode Group is further announcing the promotion of Oliver King to CEO. King holds a PhD in Economics, and joined Avinode in 2011 as Managing Director. He has global responsibility for the Group’s multi-platform technology, which consists of Avinode, SchedAero and PayNode. Previous CEO and Co-Founder Niklas Berg will be taking on an entrepreneurial ambassador role, seeking out new opportunities and ensuring the Avinode Group’s pre-eminence as the leading technology partner for the business air charter industry. 

    As seen on BlueSky Business Aviation News.