How did you get started? Where did you get your aviation knowledge and experience?
Benoit - Arshad and I have worked for a broker company, but we’ve also gained lots of operational knowledge by working for an operator, so we have the best of two worlds that we can offer. I personally have 21 years’ experience in the aviation industry working for brokers and operators. That’s exactly half my life spent in aviation! If you reckon that most professionals are ready to exchange aviation for a new challenge after 5-6 years, that’s saying something.
What do you think makes you different from your competitors?
Benoit – What gives us a definite edge over some of our competitors is our operational knowledge in addition to broker experience. A broker is essentially the middle man who contracts an operator on behalf of the client. But when you lack operational knowledge, it might be a bit harder to negotiate. For instance, the operator might cite flight duty limitations as a reason to delay a flight by 5 hours. But if you’re familiar with the flight duty times and how much rest the crew really need, you can question that.
Having operational knowledge also allows us to be very flexible. We know what’s possible at different kinds of airports, like slots and parking facilities, and we keep track of weather changes. For example, we’re aware that aircraft may not be able to land if the cloud base is getting too low. In scenarios like this where the weather is rapidly deteriorating, we like to stay ahead of the curve and already start looking for an alternate airport, instead of potentially having to cancel the flight. Being able to pivot quickly is important in aviation.
Many brokers have staff working in a call center who don’t have this kind of knowledge and won’t be able to provide this level of service.
“We can get called out of bed at 3am in the morning and we’ll jump right in and start problem-solving.”
Arshad - Our expertise in the airline industry allows us to take on an advisory role as well. Some operators may be more expensive than others, but they’d have a more reliable track record. In a case like this, we’d give our prospective clients both options and explain the difference.
Another thing that I think definitely makes us unique, is that we provide that personal touch. Aviation never sleeps, so we don’t limit ourselves to office hours. We’ll work weekends, late nights, …whenever we’re needed. If, for instance, we get called out of bed at 3am in the morning, we’ll jump right in and start problem-solving. We’re personally available 24/7 and we also provide a single point of contact. We monitor every single operation from A to Z and keep our clients in the loop every step of the way.
You work round the clock and are available 24/7 for your clients. What is it about this job that motivates you to put in so much time and energy?
Benoit – To be honest, it doesn’t feel like work. Ever. It’s a passion and it’s a joy to be able to immerse myself in my passion every single day. Even though we work long days, time flies and every day is different and full of surprises. We never know what we’re going to get.
What do you find most challenging about running a private jet company?
Arshad – Aviation is a hyper complex, dynamic industry. Our goal is to offer the private jet service without any of the complications. We want our clients to have a seamless experience. But behind the scenes, because the sector is so complex, if something goes wrong, a lot goes (or can go) wrong. It’s like a domino effect because aviation relies on so many systems and partners working together.
Aviation is hyper complex. We strive to offer an uncomplicated service, a seamless private jet experience
The moment it all goes haywire, that’s when a broker shows their true worth. It’s rather easy to cancel a flight and return the money. At Jetters we don’t take the easy way out. From the very first moment, we are in it together with the client and we’ll go above and beyond, never giving up until we reach a positive outcome. When we do succeed in finding a solution, it’s very fulfilling to get that customer satisfaction.
When it all goes haywire, a broker shows their true worth.
Do you have an example of this?
Arshad – One day, I received an especially challenging request from a big cargo company that regularly operates the route between Liege and Shanghai. They’d often do a crew swap in Novosibirsk in Siberia, Russia. A crew of theirs got stuck there during one of these swaps and contacted me to help them get back home ASAP. Because operators are no longer allowed to overfly Russia due to the war with the Ukraine, this was truly a challenge.
These crew members were very frightened as they were stuck at the airport, they weren’t even allowed to go to a hotel, and they needed to get out of there ASAP. We started a fervent search for operators and aircraft but no one could or wanted to take the job. Hundreds declined. We stayed awake round the clock and kept reassuring our client that we were on the case. In the end, we finally found an aircraft which could be flown from Turkey to pick up the crew in Novosibirsk and then take them straight back to Liege.
Needless to say, the crew and their company were extremely grateful to us and it’s an incredibly rewarding feeling to have been able to help them.
What are some of your favorite memories at Jetters?
Benoit – I remember when we organized a flight for the Japanese national team to the World Cup. You know these sticker books in which you collect stickers of the football players? I had one of those and I went to the airport myself and got the players to sign their names next to their sticker. Many of these same guys are now playing for teams in Europe and so I ran into them again 4-5 years later. It was such a special moment because they recognized me and remembered signing my sticker book!
Interested in how Jetters go about solving complicated aviation puzzles? Take a sneak peek behind the scenes!
Private travel entails a premium service, from start to finish
When you fly privately, you expect the best and only the best. It’s a given that you’re owed a premium service and a slick operation, from start to finish. Benoit and Arshad built up a successful private jet company Jetters thanks to their vast expertise and experience in the aviation industry, bucketloads of passion and that unique personal touch. Whether you have a last-minute request, or one that’s rather unusual or tricky, all are welcome.
