Fly Aviation flying high

Fly Aviation was formed in 2008 in Dubai with only four people. Its key area of business is worldwide trip support, including ground handling and support services, flight permits and clearances, flight planning, aviation fuel, crew assistance, aircraft charters and management. George Kinj, General Manager, Fly Aviation Services, discusses the company’s journey so far, what he likes about the aviation industry and the future prospects for business.

What does Fly Aviation do differently from the competition?

We look at locations where clients have problems and we target those locations, such as Lesotho, or other remote areas where having flights operated and handled is of difficulty and is a challenge to many people. This is what we excel at.

We do not consider anybody as competition. For us, it’s not about competing, it’s about excelling in service and being different from others. We are the only company having a full operations team who are 24/7 licensed dispatchers. We make sure we renew their licenses every year, at the expense of the company, because for us we care about the safety of the client and their operation rather than merely cost.

Throughout all our years of existence, we have kept true to our vision to always serve with excellence and to nurture our relationships with trust and honesty. Our goal has always been to meet the demand for a truly transparent and customer-focused aviation services provider, which has long been missing in the gray area that is trip support services.
We are one of the few companies that can truly offer worldwide trip support services with the highest service standards, is ISO certified, cost efficient and will effectively allow you to save valuable time and resources.

You aim to help private plane operators reduce costs – how do you do that and how much can you help them save?

We are very honest and transparent and the quotation that we provide is accurate and states exactly how much the client will spend.

If we find out that there is another location close by that may be cheaper in terms of fuel or handling for technical stops, we present that alternative to our client. We find that they might be able to reduce their costs by 20%-30%. We always strive to think outside the box and help the client receive the best service and realise reduced costs. Our clients are assured that they are not only relying on us as a trip support provider, but more as aviation consultants and partners in their business.

A daunting task for any flight operator is to find the right contacts to obtain a permit. Fly Aviation’s expertise and connections with aviation authorities worldwide ensures you that all the necessary overflights, landing permits and flight clearances are obtained before your departure.

Whether you’re in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East or Oceania, you can rely on Fly Aviation’s handling stations and service partners to provide you with competitive handling prices, unmatched services, and to assist with all the necessary arrangements for both your aircraft and crew.

We provide a comprehensive package for your crew to help them perform at their best during their flight. Our flight package includes computerised flight plans, ATC filing, en-route weather, updated NOTAMs, graphical weather charts, and passenger flight route briefings.

Our worldwide network of contracted fuel suppliers and into-wing agents assures you of an extensive supply of the highest quality fuel even in the remotest areas of the world. Customers can be assured that their fuel is of the highest quality and will be there on time, every time.

We provide a whole new outlook in convenience for your operations to any destination worldwide. We will match your crewing requirements and ensure that these are met, from crew hotel arrangements, ground transportation needs and visa assistance to other services that would make your travel easier.

To solve your crewing needs, we offer the widest selection of hotel accommodations and maintain corporate rates with the largest hotel chains in the world. We can cater to any category you might require and tailor the options to suit your operational budgets. We keep up to date with the latest visa requirements and have strong connections with local authorities so crew can move quickly through the customs and immigration process at destination and enjoy hassle-free formalities at airports.

We have built a vast network of reliable local transport partners and associates that consist of luxury and commercialised transport vehicles driven by well-trained and customer service educated drivers to ensure safe travel.

What’s great about aviation and your segment of the market?

It’s aviation, so what’s not great about it?! Once you go into aviation, you can never leave the industry. For me, I’m a business graduate and I have worked across various industries, but once I started inn aviation, I could never leave and I’ve been in this industry for about 20 years now.

There are so many trip support companies and we might spend less on marketing than other providers, but that means we are able to spend more on raising the standards of service to our clients and exceeding any other provider. We have been able to leave our mark in this industry and be the preferred choice of many aircraft operators worldwide.

What’s challenging about working in aviation?

Conflict, NOTAMs [Notices to Airmen], natural disasters and even small details can cause delays or fail an aircraft operation. Therefore, we are always on alert and pay attention to every single detail.

Has the private aviation market peaked, or do you think companies like Fly Aviation can expect growth to continue?

Of course we expect growth to continue. We are growing year by year. In the last 2 years we added around 30% on staff and we are expecting to add another 30% next year.

Our charter division has been growing rapidly in the Middle East and Asia. We have overcome numerous challenges while trying to establish and maintain a firm presence in this competitive market. Fly Charters is proud to have established a strong reputation for the highest standards of service and support. If you want a private charter, we pay the utmost attention to detail and ensure the levels of service, security, privacy, and efficiency surpass your expectations. We able provide a wide range of aircraft suitable for medical evacuation flights specially equipped to transport the sick and injured to ensure the patient’s well being. If you need to move cargo and whatever it is you are transporting, we can find the operator with the right aircraft and coordinate with facilities all over the world including those in remote and challenging locations.