Julia Amadio, pictured right with Manuel Hübschmann, is a private aviation advisor for LunaJets, Geneva .

Team work and constant communication

On a typical Friday morning Julia Amadio, private aviation advisor with Geneva, Switzerland-based LunaJets, passes the Maserati showroom before entering the recently renovated company offices overlooking the airport apron. Her phone is on, as it has been all night, in case a client should call.

Her desk is one of 30 in an office resembling the trading room of a financial institution. The sales team is grouped by language, and the walls are covered in screens, maps and advisory notices. Through the window the snow capped peak of Mont Blanc is visible, but usually the staff are too busy to appreciate the fine views.

Today, after a quick coffee, Amadio joins sales director Manuel Hübschmann and the rest of the team for the early morning meeting hosted by CEO and founder Eymeric Segard. The sales team gets together every day for 20 minutes to discuss airports, slots and other timely issues. They share awareness and exchange information; the industry changes all the time so teamwork and good communication help them to stay on top of any opportunities or disruptions.

At the time of our visit there were two trending topics. One is availability of Geneva airport slots prior to the start of EBACE – there are few. The number of test flights taking place during the expo means that slots are fairly well booked up, so the situation requires constant checking. The other is the final of the Champions League in Cardiff, Wales – which airports are filled? She needs to find parking and handling, and will look at empty leg options too.

Once the meeting is over she follows up on some of the prices sent over by operators for football-loving clients, but will have to confirm availability of Cardiff airport slots before sending the quotes on to her customers. There are also some heli transfers to organise so she will be on the phone finding solutions for that too.

Not long after lunch the red alert siren flashes and wails out over the sales desks. She's received a last minute request to fly a party to St Tropez from Geneva: eight people, now. “It always happens on a Friday afternoon,” she says. And the whole team stops what they are doing to assist. In just 10 minutes two possible aircraft are located and the choice will come down to timing versus cost. The decision has to be made quickly as the client is already in a taxi on his way to the airport. He trusts LunaJets to find a solution in good time. And Amadio does.