LunaJets

LunaJets
Industry Business Aviation
Founded 2007
Founder Eymeric Segard
Headquarters Switzerland
Area served
Worldwide
Products Empty Leg, Jet Sharing, Mobile App
Services Private Jet Charter
Number of employees
45
Website www.lunajets.com

LunaJets is a private jet broker with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, where it has been based since it was founded in 2007 by former Ogilvy advertiser Eymeric Segard.

It is a privately owned company, by two of the founders.

As an online broker, the company does not own any aircraft, but rather matches operators and private jet owners with end user private jet clients to provide on-demand and empty leg flight services. LunaJets, therefore, has access to all categories of aircraft,[1] both turboprop and jet-powered, ranging in size from Very Light Jets, such as the Cessna Citation Mustang,[2] to VIP Airliners, such as Boeing Business Jets (BBJs) and Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJs).

History

LunaJets was founded in December 2007[3][4] by Eymeric Segard, the company’s acting CEO, after raising $US2million from private investors. The initial concept was to create an online platform to provide “empty leg flights”[5] and last minute “empty seats” on private planes flying empty at a discount from market price. ‘Empty legs’, also called in the industry as “deadhead,” “positioning, “or “ferry flights,” are planes flying without any passengers due to the need to reposition or return to their home base, among other reasons. They can be available at a discount of up to 75% of regular prices. At the time, entrepreneur Richard Branson launched a similar concept named “Virgin Charter”[6] with entrepreneur Scott Duffy but, for Lunajets, the concept of jet sharing and the resale of private jet seats did not work.[7] Virgin Charter, who at the time employed 100 people, stopped its operation in 2009 when private jet charter dropped dramatically due to the financial crisis. In 2010, LunaJets rebranded itself as a low-cost provider of private flights under the “fly private at the best price” slogan, offering on-demand charter flights and empty legs. In October 2014, Lunajets launched the third version of its website. In May 2015, LunaJets introduced the first version of their mobile application[8] (available on iOS, RiM and Android) presented by CNBC as the UBER of private aviation. As of 2015, LunaJets opened a regional office inside the Private Jet Terminal in Olbia, Italy and in Dubai.[9]

Certifications

LunaJets has ARGUS certification.[10][11][12]

Sponsorship

Since 2011, LunaJets has been the official sponsor of the Aleph sailing. In 2014 Lunajets became a partner of the Womanity Foundation. In Summer 2016, LunaJets sponsored the Stile F - Squadra Corse team[13] in the Blancpain GT Series Cup, an annual race at the Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet.

References

  1. LunaJets' Fleet page, https://www.lunajets.com/en/fleet/
  2. Cessna Aircraft : http://cessna.txtav.com/
  3. The Travel Magazine, July 2008, http://www.thetravelmagazine.net/lunajets-low-cost-private-jet-travel.html
  4. Altitudes Europe Magazine, June 2013, https://www.lunajets.com/en/press/lunajets-success-story/
  5. Charter Broker Magazine, LunaJets says empty legs bargain attracts new clients, June 2010, http://www.charterbroker.aero/mag_story.html?ident=10005
  6. The Crunch, June 2007, https://techcrunch.com/2007/06/12/virgin-charter-launches-private-aviation-marketplace/
  7. Interview in French of Eymeric Segard in La Tribue de Genève, May 2016 : http://www.tdg.ch/economie/economie-partage-setend-laviation-privee/story/15688980
  8. Ultimate Jet Magazine, July 2015, LunaJets Broker 5.0 : http://www.ultimatejet.com/lunajets-broker-5-0/
  9. The National UAE, November 2008, http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/transport/private-jet-company-targets-gulf-by-selling-leftover-one-way-trips
  10. Business Airport International, LunaJets is first European charter broker to earn ARGUS rating, November 2015, http://www.businessairportinternational.com/news.php?NewsID=74843
  11. The Air Charter Journal, LunaJets Becomes First European Charter Broker to Earn ARGUS Certified Broker Rating, November 2015, http://theaircharterjournal.com/news/LunaJets_ARGUSCert/
  12. Charter Broker Magazine, LunaJets Achieve ARGUS certification, December 2015, http://www.charterbroker.aero/mag_story.html?ident=1206
  13. LunaJets supported Ferrari at Blancpain GT Series in June 2016. https://www.lunajets.com/en/lunajets-supporting-ferrari-at-blancpain-gt-serie-cup
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.