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Catherine Buchanan explains why Data Matters for business aviation.
In today’s fast-evolving business aviation market, data is no longer just an operational by-product; it’s the lifeblood of a successful operation.
From enhancing the customer journey to driving commercial growth, intelligent use of data can elevate how we deliver value. So why are so many companies still operating within ‘data chaos’?
This is particularly true when it comes to the charter broker and operator community. Think about the sheer volume of information generated while arranging a single charter trip - emails, WhatsApp messages, phone conversations, excel spreadsheets, PDFs, Post-it notes, and maybe even a few key details stored in someone’s head, are all likely to play a part.
Each piece of information contains essential details about the customer, their preferences, nationalities, visa status and much more. With the data held in so many disparate formats, it’s more or less impossible for multiple departments to keep up with the latest real-time information, let alone harness its value. This disconnected ‘data chaos’ slows down operations, stops business from flowing, often results in knee-jerk reactions to unexpected issues and limits the ability to deliver exceptional service.
This is why data management is so important. When essential information is brought together in a centralized ‘source of truth,’ data transforms from a cluttered collection of facts into actionable insights that fuel smarter decisions. Imagine knowing your customer so well that you can anticipate their needs before they even make a request. That’s the power of harnessing data.
The benefits of centralized data management don’t stop at better customer service. The advantages span every part of the business. In a world where customer expectations have evolved and personalization is the norm, aggregated data delivers sales teams real-time insights into passenger needs. A better understanding of customer behaviour enables brokers to upsell or cross-sell services that the client actually wants. The ability to present a customer with something they hadn’t realized they need is a winner in any business. They are grateful, and it builds trust.
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Using data analysis tools supports improved effective marketing, too. Rather than making educated guesses as to what the customer wants, the validated data enables the creation of targeted campaigns based on validated trends for each customer. This may relate to common city pairs flown, regular vacation plans or even the pursuit of a favourite sport. The same data can help customer support centres resolve problems faster by having a holistic view of client interactions which means speedier response times when things have gone wrong. As each future interaction feeds back into the database, the insights become even more powerful, creating a force multiplier effect. It’s like compounding interest for your business intelligence.
We know charter brokers have sophisticated processes that have evolved over time, and each company has its own particular methodology. Yet the reality is that all charter brokers effectively source aircraft from the same, or if not very similar, global fleet. This means that differentiating the company can only be done through competitive pricing (perhaps not best for longevity) or through superior customer service. This service provision is the unique selling point for each company. Charter brokers can only benefit from collecting, integrating and adding value to historical and real-time data.
If this rich information source is made accessible, clearly organized, verified and actionable, it can streamline workflows and enable teams to work more collaboratively. That’s what we are doing for our clients at STACK.aero, and we know that our BOS (business operations system) users who have chosen to embrace the power of data are seeing commercial, productivity and revenue increases. And that’s why Data Matters.
BlueSky Business Aviation News | 13th February 2025 | Issue #783
