The Aviation Revolution

How AI is making private jetting more accessible to the average man

- Dayle Kavonic

Imagine you could reserve a private jet for your next business trip from Joburg to London as easily and economically as you might book a ticket with, say, Virgin Atlantic or British Airways. According to Patrick Jermann, CEO and co-founder of ZUUM, an online private aircraft booking platform, such a reality might not be all that far off, in large part thanks to major developments in the general aviation realm, fuelled by advancements in technology.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The private aviation industry has, in Jermann’s words, long been ‘ripe for disruption’. ‘There was, and continues to be, a large number of private jets sitting unused in airports or flying with no passengers on what we call “empty legs”,’ he explains. ‘And this situation persists despite the fact that owners desire to generate meaningful rental income from their aircraft to offset the cost of ownership.’ On the other side of the story sit individuals and corporates who would kill to be able to skip the hassle of commercial airports and fly independently, if only private jets were more accessible, both logistically and financially. After all, the benefits of private travel are endless. ‘Private jets have access to a multitude of airports worldwide that commercial aircraft can’t target,’ says Jermann. ‘This provides customers with a more direct route to their final destination while eliminating layovers and long waits, and getting users to their stops faster and more comfortably.’