PrivateFly has been acquired by OneSky, a Directional Aviation company. The online booking platform will join forces with OneSky’s existing brokerage Skyjet to create a digital platform for on-demand private jet charter.
As the first business model to offer private jet booking end-to-end when it launched in 2008, PrivateFly has seen continued high sales growth over the last decade. Initially UK-focused, it has since developed multiple channels and customer bases worldwide through localized platforms and a multilingual team. Skyjet has been a player in aviation technology for more than 20 years with a strong foothold in the USA, and offers a private jet booking app.
PrivateFly’s co-founders Adam Twidell and Carol Cork will remain with the company and will lead the combined entity, which will operate offices in both the USA and Europe. They intend to leverage the extensive infrastructure and assets available within the OneSky family of brands, which also includes Sentient Jet and Flexjet.
Kenn Ricci, principal of Directional Aviation, said, “We are delighted to welcome PrivateFly to the OneSky and the Directional Aviation family. PrivateFly’s co-founders, Adam Twidell and Carol Cork, are true innovators who recognized early on how important mobile capabilities and on-demand digital bookings are in the charter space, and they will continue to play a critical role in the company’s future.
“Pairing PrivateFly with Skyjet, OneSky’s current digital on-demand charter broker, brings together two unique, innovative companies that are in different geographies to support OneSky’s vision of a world-leading on-demand charter operation.”
Adam Twidell commented, “We are proud to be joining OneSky, part of Directional Aviation, which incorporates every aspect of the private aviation industry in a way that no other company can. This is a key strategic moment for PrivateFly that opens up new opportunities for our loyal and growing base of globe-spanning users, leveraging the power not only of Skyjet but also of the other OneSky companies.”
Andrew Collins, the president of OneSky’s on-demand private jet charter organization Skyjet and jet card provider Sentient Jet, added, “With this transaction, and the combination of PrivateFly and Skyjet, we are realizing the digital part of OneSky’s vision in the on-demand charter space. Nobody provides instant private jet travel at the touch of a button with this degree of expertise, allowing people to travel in the way that best meets their needs.”
