These are probably the most heard statements (ok, their objections) I hear when talking to managers and stakeholders regarding the use of private (general) aviation for business travel.
For many, unfortunately their right! Their business currently doesn’t generate the growth necessary to support the kind of revenue needed to justify greater business travel. For others it’s their pre-conceived notions of what “private” aviation is: The multi-million-dollar jet, celebrity or Fortune 500 executive jetting off to far away exotic places. Still others are too busy to research and investigate business or private aviation travel on their own! And, finally, there’s the diehard: “what we’ve always done” works and believe they will continue to work in the future.
Perception of Business (private) Aviation is kind of like Pareto’s principle in reverse, only worse…90% of the public believe the top 10% of Private Aviation is what the industry is all about!!
Private aviation for business travel is more about understanding what is truly available and the factors that contribute to business profitability and efficiency. Things like the value of actual face to face meetings, time out of the office, the work that is being done and the work NOT getting done while traveling.
In reality, apart from what is known as “owner flown”, if your business isn’t doing better than 5 million annual revenues with at least 5% net margins then no form of private aviation will make much sense for you. Not on a regular basis anyway, however, for those that have reached those benchmarks you can not only “afford” to use private aviation, but you should also probably already be looking at what specifically fits your needs the best.
-Mike
