Imagine there is some kind of an emergency, and you need to reach a destination at the earliest, if not immediately. This is where the urban air mobility comes into play. With the onset of the pandemic, where people were reluctant to board with other public, private aviation was an industry that kicked off.
Pioneering in this industry niche is Flapz, a company making accessibility easier to private aviation.
In this interview, let us know more about the journey of the company.
Q. Brief us about the journey of rich experience – origin, inception, early issues, success stories, and major milestones, to name a few.
Flapz was born in the midst of the 2020 pandemic, although it seemed that this was a disadvantage, it was really thanks to this situation that the idea of a private aviation marketplace emerged. Creating air mobility solutions in the midst of sanitary restrictions that prevented the normal functioning of the airline industry was the idea that gave rise to Flapz.
Our main challenge has been to demonstrate that private aviation is a growing industry, easily accessible to everyone, and that it represents an air mobility solution.
Flapz’s greatest success story is having a team of highly qualified human talent that daily gives their best for a job that meets customer expectations. Thanks to this, in 2021 we transported more than 700 passengers on more than 150 flights
Q. Brief us about the CEO/Founder of the company?
Ionatan, Colombian-Israeli citizen- CEO and Co-Founder of Flapz, business administrator with a Master’s degree in International Relations and Diplomacy from the U of Tel Aviv. Passionate about innovation, he has held management positions in multiple Israeli startups, leading their expansion in Latin America.
Q. Kindly talk about the exclusive products or services offered by the company, How does it distinguish you from your competitors?
Flapz is Latin America’s fastest-growing private aviation marketplace. We connect passengers with dozens of regional certified aviation operators. Thanks to a in-house disruptive technology that enables near-live bookings, subscribers can search, compare, and book flights on more than 350 aircraft (from helicopters to business jets), as well as empty legs/seats and curated Getaways, thus enabling access to Latin america’s quickly growing-base of passengers rushing to experience private flying.
Our main difference is that thanks to technology we can provide our customers with efficient travel options in almost real time.
Q. What is the vision and mission of the company?
Our vision is being the digital/ most efficient and marketplace in Latin America, allowing operators in the region to reach new heights regarding number of operations (achieving like we currently do a growth in over 30% of their annual sales), allowing the stakeholders data and trends (integrations and open data is key towards this goal) and expanding the access, both natural and corporate on everything related to private aviation.
Q. What is the present scenario of the same industry? How are you contributing to making it better?
The idea of integrating technology at the center of the strategy emerged as a response to the needs of the sector. The days when private aviation only served large corporations and billionaires are long gone, who booked by phone or via email. Today, with the rise of the millennial generation and the need for more reliable and safe transportation, business aviation is experiencing a real shift in demand. Adapting quickly and boldly to that new behavior , new customers and trends is Flapz’ commitment to boost the entire industry in the region to new heights. That’s our contribution.
Q. With respect to your distinctive products and services, how have you helped bring positive developments in the same industry?
Executive aviation is unique. And it is unparalleled for two important factors that even true commercial first-class cannot deliver. No, we are not talking about the existing business class in Latin America, but the true firstclass offered by international luxury airlines. First, business aviation is completely tailored to the passenger, their tastes, schedules, and destinations, even the most remote in the world. Therefore, it is flexible and 100 percent customizable.
And second, business aviation surpasses the commercial first-class in that each customer defines the value of his time. When flying in a private jet it is not necessary to be three hours before at an airport, you can get to the terminal closest to the destination and you should not wait for suitcases after arrival. In other words, saving time is the main currency of those who use this means of transport, while luxury is the main added value of the commercial first-class.
At Flapz we are aware that the right way is to connect with those passengers who understand the attributes of the industry, and educate those who have yet to experience it, but never damage the reputation of commercial first-class. Comparing both to gain a competitive advantage is a very basic strategy, disconnected from the actual target audience. The aviation market is a dynamic ecosystem, and each player has a role to play and a void to fill.
Flapz collaborate with Varon in promoting access of passengers, guests and users to their Urban Air Mobility services throughout different markets. Being able to collaborate with Varon Vehicles to disrupt how entire communities connect, with Flapz serving as a one-stop marketplace to access the world of Urban Air Mobility, will be one of our main objectives in moving forward on our quest to transform private aviation in Latin America.
We are currently working on new projects to contribute to the conservation of ecosystems in the Colombian Amazon.
Thanks to our alliance with Betterfly, flapz collaborators can contribute to social causes such as planting trees and donating food, among others.
Q. What is the current same industry scenario from your perspective?
The pandemic changed travel forever. That’s no overstatement. Commercial aviation was grounded, and private flying was challenged for creative, out-of-the-box solutions. During 2021, after a noticeable slump in demand due to travel restrictions in almost every continent, passengers still needed to fly, naturally. Whether for repatriation purposes, cargo flights or urgent business matters, private aviation was there, as flexible, and efficient as ever, to provide solutions.
Safety deserves a separate paragraph, as it was arguably the main added value that executive flights brought to the table as passengers were worried about the virus and the potential infection rate. Well, when flying privately those concerns are reduced almost entirely as the travel experience is controlled from start to finish, with touchpoints reduced to a minimum. That fact increased travel demand in Latin America while first-time private jet travelers knocked on the door.
That is why private aviation has grown considerably today and more and more customers are looking for new flight experiences in private planes.
