FLYT, a brand new digital helicopter booking
service allowing customers to instantly view quotes from an extensive range of
UK helicopter operators and book online via desktop, tablet or smartphone, is
now live with the aim of lowering the cost of rotary travel and making it more
accessible to a wider customer base.
FLYT is the brainchild of helicopter pilot and
tech entrepreneur Andy King
and SaxonAir co-founder James Palmer.
Located at The London Heliport in Battersea and with a tech team in central
Manchester, FLYT’s goal is to bring the same technology clients are now enjoying
in the private jet sector to commercial helicopter bookings.
By working with operators to fill empty seats
on shared charters, FLYT is also hoping to maximise revenue and utilisation for
operators. Hitherto, seat sales on helicopters have not been the industry norm.
Andy King said, “We believe the arrival of FLYT will encourage private owners
whose machines are looked after by management companies to get on board and
offset their operational costs with charter.”
“Only a helicopter will take you right where
you want to go,” continued King, whose team will liaise with landowners on the
2,200 plus approved landing sites available in the UK. FLYT simply takes the
site address requested and seeks landing approval with the operator.
The company will work with an ever-growing
database of helicopter traffic, continually capturing and analysing thousands of
recorded helicopter flights. This will enable FLYT to advise on realistic flight
times and estimated costs in real-time.
FLYT is marketing directly to consumers, with
a helicopter booking process which is simple and intuitive, delivering more
choice, transparency, comparison and speed of booking than traditional methods.
It is now working on a booking app and will be reaching out to lifestyle and
sporting event partners, including luxury hotels with helipads, to support the
platform.
How it works:
- The customer enters their journey details
and FLYT calculates cost and approximate flight time.
- As soon as a request is made, the
platform identifies the most suitable operator in real-time.
- The operator has the option to accept or
reject. If they reject, a second choice of operator is notified, and so on.
- Once the operator is confirmed the
customer is afforded full details, including where to meet the aircraft, and
makes payment to complete the transaction.
Industry charter brokers have not yet moved
into helicopter charters in a big way before, because in the rotary world it is
more complex and ultimately time-consuming to make bookings - it requires
gathering critical information like passenger weight and landing site
restrictions.
However, the continuing consolidation of the
industry, which has seen leading private jet aviation companies like Luxaviation,
Castle Air Group and SaxonAir offering up private jets and helicopters for a
full end-to-end offering, it is the perfect time for FLYT’s launch.
FLYT has secured backing from significant
investors including John Ayton MBE, Co-Founder of both Links of London and
Annoushka and investor in the luxury industry, as well as mobile technology
group Apadmi Ventures, which is also serving as strategic technical partner and
EarlyMarket LLP.
Caroline Fuerstenberg,
Managing Director of Earlymarket commented: “We were instantly excited by FLYT’s
proposition. Their platform was already quite advanced when we met them, and it
was clear to us that that they would have an immense appeal to helicopter
travellers, given the existing inefficiencies. We also saw natural synergies
amongst a few of our existing companies within our portfolio and identified a
great opportunity to develop a partnership on future projects together.”
Howard Simms,
CEO of Apadmi Ventures, believes that collaboration has been a key part of their
success. He commented: “When we invest in market-disrupting start-ups, it’s
because we believe in a management team who can combine dedication and detailed
knowledge of the sector to turn their great idea into a reality. This is very
evident with Flyt. They know aviation inside out and understand just how
technology can revolutionise it for passengers. We’re delighted to be on-board,
not just as investors but as strategic tech partners.”
Who’s who at FLYT
Andy King, CEO and Co-founder.
Andy King is an experienced tech entrepreneur. He exited his last startup in
2015 to train as a commercial helicopter pilot but realising that the helicopter
industry needed a modern platform through which to book a flight, developed the
FLYT concept with co-founder James Palmer. Andy leads strategy and business
development at the company. Andy holds a BSc Hons degree in Maths and Business
from the University of East Anglia and has received leadership training at the
world renowned Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
James Palmer, Co-founder, Aviation
Director. James co-founded private jet
and helicopter charter company SaxonAir Charter Ltd in 2007. During his
nine-year tenure, he enjoyed senior management roles including Head of Ground
Operations and Head of Quality. He also led the ground handling division,
SaxonAir Flight Support Ltd. During this time, the company achieved a turnover
in excess of £6m and grew to nearly 60 employees. In addition to his extensive
aviation knowledge and experience, James has a keen interest in IT and
technology. Passionate about aviation since childhood, his vision is to create
solutions that will enhance the industry’s productivity and effectiveness. It is
this interest that led him to get involved with FLYT. James is FLYT’s business
aviation expert and he will be liaising with operators, drawing on his
operational expertise and network. James is also involved with programme
management at the UK’s Atmospheric Research Aircraft at Cranfield.
James Matthews, Director and Chief Finance
Officer. During his career, James has
helped four start-ups raise over £9m in funding, built teams and launched
innovative new technologies. He is a Chartered Management Accountant, Oxford law
graduate and holds an MBA from INSEAD.
Howard Simms, Non-Executive Director and
investor. Experienced technology
expert Howard Simms co-founded leading UK mobile technology group Apadmi.
Apadmi’s clients include the BBC, NHS, Argos, and United Utilities. Howard is
currently CEO of Apadmi Ventures, the investment division of Apadmi. Apadmi
Ventures acts as a Strategic Technical Partner dedicated to investing and
growing highly scalable technology companies. At FLYT, Howard is helping develop
the technical platform and roadmap. He holds a BSc in Maths from the University
of Leeds.
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