MANCHESTER AIRPORT GROUP FIRST IN UK TO OFFER ONLINE PRIVATE JET BOOKING SERVICE
-As EBACE 2010 opens, PrivateFly.com team up with UK's largest UK-owned airport group in a national airport first-
Manchester Airports Group (MAG) has become the first UK airport group to offer online private jet
booking services. In a move which forms part of their strategy to offer broader
retail services through their websites, the operator of 4 regional airports has chosen
to partner with online private jet booking platform PrivateFly.com.
As the European business aviation community meets this week in Geneva for EBACE 2010, the industry is
asking itself "what next?" As it sees the first signs of recovery, many believe the industry
will undergo major changes in the next 5 years. As a fragmented market, PrivateFly believes
that private charter is one of the few sectors of the travel industry yet to be transformed by
the brokering power of the internet, hence their focus on distributing their software
by working with travel partners.
This new venture expands PrivateFly's existing travel distribution strategy, which includes
partnerships with leading concierge groups, yacht brokers, and travel agents,
but is the first partnership with an airport group.
MAG owns and operates Manchester, East Midlands, Bournemouth and Humberside airports which
collectively serve a total of 28 million passengers every year. Customers use
the websites for essential travel information such as live flight updates,
transportation and car parking. Alongside this information, the airport group
has now added their Travel Extras Store which offers private jet booking
and a range of other additional travel services including hotels and package holidays.
Customers can now access PrivateFly's network of approved private jet operators through a white
label version of the PrivateFly.com website, branded to the style of each of the
airport websites. PrivateFly's operations team are also available 24/7 as
part of the partnership, to provide VIP customer service by phone, and to
manage the flight post-booking.
Andrew Harrison, Commercial Director of MAG commented: "We are delighted to add private jet charter
to our Travel Extras Store and are the first UK airport group to offer private jet booking
online. We are excited to be partnering with PrivateFly.com, and by branding� their
unique software platform on each of our airport sites, we are broadening our
retail offer to customers. Passengers might think that private jets
are out of their price range but for larger parties, it can be a
cost effective solution and will� make private travel more
accessible to the marketplace for those customers who wish to use it".
Adam Twidell, founder and director of PrivateFly, added: "We are very excited to be working
with Manchester Airports Group, and the white-label platform on each of their airport
sites demonstrates the exciting potential and unique functionality that
PrivateFly's software offers travel partners. This also confirms the fact
that many customers - both business and leisure travellers - look to their
local airport as a natural starting point for private jet charter bookings".
-Ends-
Notes to editors
PrivateFly.com provides instant and accurate estimates for any global private jet flight. All prices are market estimates and are subject to availability at the time of booking.
About PrivateFly:
PrivateFly is an online booking network that makes it quicker, easier and more cost effective to arrange private jet charter.
With a global network of over 2000 accredited operators, PrivateFly is the only online aggregator for private jet charter in Europe.
PrivateFly combines online efficiency and transparency with offline expertise to offer
a full-service VIP charter service to direct customers and partners. The bespoke software has
been created in-house specifically to meet the needs of charter customers and operators.
In February 2010 PrivateFly launched the world's first iPhone application to provide instant private jet pricing on a mobile phone.
PrivateFly was recently announced as one of the Smarta 100 companies 2010, by a judging panel including
Dragon's Den's Deborah Meaden and other leading entrepreneurs, such as Bebo founder Michael Birch.
The company also won the innovation category of the Best Business Awards in February 2010.
Founded in 2007, the company is based in St Albans, Hertfordshire and has plans to expand within Europe and selected international markets throughout 2010.
For further information, interviews or imagery, please contact:
