Presented by ONEflight
The private jet provider experiences high growth as travelers turn to non-commercial travel amidst COVID-19.
ONEflight International, Inc. has been recognized by Inc. 5000 as one of 2021’s Fastest Growing Companies in the United States for the second consecutive year. The private aviation firm rose to 3,205 on a list that signifies the top expanding privately owned companies in the nation.
ONEflight first earned a spot on the list in 2020 with a combined three-year revenue growth of 97 percent. Despite the pandemic devastating many in the private aviation industry in 2020, ONEflight experienced positive growth without government subsidies or loans, doubling revenues and reporting a 115 percent increase in its customer base. Only two other companies in the charter sector made this year’s list.
Nationwide lockdowns and travel restrictions forced other aviation companies to retract, lay off employees or trim extra spending costs over the last 18 months. ONEflight did the opposite, adding staff in Sales, Marketing, Technical Support and Operations while also forging strategic partnerships across multiple luxury sectors, including travel, villa rentals, motorsports, renowned wineries, yacht charters and PGA sponsorships.
“2020 was a demanding year filled with peaks, valleys and new challenges. However, through all the turbulence, my team and I prevailed. We set new company records not only in member acquisition, but in the overall number of flights booked month over month,” said Ferren Rajput, founder and CEO of ONEflight International.
A testament to the company’s expansion and brand reputation, ONEflight secured ABC’s Shark Tank host and ONEflight member Robert Herjavec as a brand ambassador and launched a multi-million-dollar advertising campaign. Three-time Superbowl champion and Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway followed suit as a ONEflight spokesperson earlier this month.
How the economic and social climate fueled the private travel industry
Prior to the pandemic, most bookings with ONEflight were for corporate or business travel. As shutdowns loomed in early 2020, flyers abroad rushed to return to the U.S. and turned to private aviation for faster, more reliable service. Then, as society shifted to remote work and learning, the industry helped families fly to secluded destinations as COVID-19 transmission rates climbed. Fewer touch points and passengers made private travel the safe alternative to crowded airport terminals and packed commercial flights.
New customers who had never flown private previously drove most of the business growth for ONEflight in the past year. The safety, convenience and flexibility of private jets became less of an extravagance and more of a necessity. Now, leisure travel eclipses corporate and business travel for ONEflight, accounting for 85 percent of booked flights.
Skyrocketing demand for private travel has come with some growing pains. Pilots, crews and operational personnel face labor shortages coinciding with a global aircraft shortage, potential rises in fuel costs as well as resource scarcity. In response to these challenges, many expanding private jet companies remain cautious of hiring for fear this increase is temporary and many other companies in the industry have halted selling new memberships entirely.
While others pull back, ONEflight compensates for the growth by onboarding new flight operations staff, flight trackers, flight coordinators and personal concierge to ensure that their industry-leading customer satisfaction remains high. The risk was worth the reward: over 90 percent of those who switched to ONEflight during the pandemic continue to do so despite the emergence of COVID-19 vaccines.
How ONEflight is transforming private jet travel
ONEflight propelled private aviation into the digital age by developing and designing technologies that revolutionized the way the public flies. The ultra-luxury provider unveiled Book a Jet in 2018, an online booking platform created to search for flight itineraries then select from over 5,000 aircraft ranging from turbo props to large capacity jets. ONEflight members may choose the aircraft and flight with a few clicks on their computer or phone, a process that was previously done by calling an agent. ONEflight maintains a vetted network of 500 of the top aircraft operators worldwide to ensure unprecedented availability and flexibility.
A new BAJ app could publicly launch in Q4 of this year, further digitizing private air travel with groundbreaking technologies that can be used broadly across all sectors of private aviation.
“We remain focused on the future and are thrilled to share even more exciting news later this year,” said Rajput.
For media, membership and partnership inquiries, please contact:
Mark Dismuke
Vice President of Strategic Growth
ONEflight International, Inc.
720-684-5650
markdismuke@oneflight.net