Special Reports: PrivatAir

PrivatAir is a comprehensive aviation group delivering service excellence both in the air and on the ground.  Their select clients are from a broad spectrum including royalty, clinic heads of state, public officials, captains of industry, private aircraft owners, celebrities from the arts and entertainment industry and of course sports teams. For such clients, requirements when travelling are inevitably out of the ordinary. PrivatAir’s mission is to cater to exceptional needs with complete dedication to quality of service.

It is PrivatAir’s ability and long history of serving the particular travel needs of sports teams which has led to their recent joining of forces with isportconnect: in June 2013, PrivatAir became their official business aviation partner.

The Aircraft Charter team is available 24/7 (with offices in Geneva, Dusseldorf and London), and prides itself on working by the rule ‘Any jet, anywhere, any time’: clients will get exactly the jet they need (from the PrivatAir fleet or sourced from a preferred partner), with that certainty of unwavering quality. ‘We call it our Service d’Excellence’, explains Nathalie Beuchard, Director of Charter Sales for PrivatAir, ‘for us, every intricate detail matters, we follow through, with very personal attention. We understand the specific needs of sports teams and we are very excited to explore this market further. We have in particular the 44-seater BBJ that is perfectly suited to the requirements of sports teams in terms of size, space and comfort.’

Victor Grove, as Senior Vice President Selection, Training and Customer Service, is responsible for maintaining those very high standards. A buoyant, multi-faceted individual, he has grown within the company (since joining as head of cabin crew in 1992), because he knows how to get the best out of people and to make things happen. Victor also has one particular asset that helped him get the ball rolling in terms of establishing PrivatAir as a player among sports teams: he’s an ex-football player (from the UK). As such, he not only had contacts back in his home country to help introduce PrivatAir to some key clubs, he also had that extra essential quality: the ability to mix with the teams. He sealed a long-term partnership with Leeds Football Club, and went on to help pull in deals with Arsenal, Manchester United, the Swiss National Team, Juventus, the Brazilian National Team, Bayern Munich, Hamburg, Inter Milano and Real Madrid to name a few.

Victor often travels with the teams. ‘There’s an element of trust that is very important. I’m fortunate, I get treated like one of the lads, they know me and it helps keep the atmosphere relaxed. Before a big game, that’s essential. With the crew, we know how to make sure everything runs seamlessly. It’s important to understand the players’ need for concentration, for peace to focus on an upcoming match. And of course, to provide the right food and beverages. We work closely with the teams’ nutritionists’ to ensure the catering on board fits the bill for the players’ specific health needs. We provide a diet that is in line with sports science.’ Paying attention to the well-being of every passenger on board is essential, knowing that a team is only as strong as its weakest link. When Victor was made aware that a member of the UK national football team was a very nervous flyer, he arranged for him and his family to attend a fear of flying course, to ease the way. More than attention to detail, in some cases, it’s the kind of personal care that could swing a game!

Such examples speak realms about the dedication and passion that are characteristic of everyone at PrivatAir and that have kept the business growing successfully over the years. It’s a company made up of people who all love what they do, and they believe in it. For people who are passionate, the key ingredient to keep the passion alive is a sense of challenge. Such a spirit led the company in November 2012 to be the first commercial operator to ever land a Boeing jet on a runway of blue ice, in the Antarctic, partnering with Norwegian Polar Institute to serve the needs of their meteorological research station based out there. ‘Project Penguin’ took a year to plan due to the extreme nature of the destination and the preparation work that was required. ‘The highlight of my career so far!’ stated Dennis Kaer, the captain who led the project. The sense of achievement and euphoric relief among the whole crew and members of the executive team, also present for the event, as well as the stunning landscape that greeted them, were rewards in themselves. Such adventures feed the company spirit and lead to the next.