News Release

Bernhard Fragner, CEO, GlobeAir.

GlobeAir to celebrate 10th anniversary this autumn

Europe's largest Citation Mustang operator, GlobeAir AG of Austria, is celebrating ten years since its first flight as DreamTeam, GlobeAir's official call sign, was operated in the autumn of 2008.

GlobeAir AG was founded in 2007 by passionate aviator and visionary, chief executive officer Bernhard Fragner, with the mission to make short-haul travelling easier. Today, the company has secured 50% of the market share in the very light jets niche, has a record of almost 11,000 of hours flown between September 2017 and August 2018 and boasts the status of official partner of the Alfa Romeo Sauber Formula 1 team.

The fact that private jet charters allow managers, entrepreneurs and athletes to gain time was only a thought until Fragner tried it himself, tired of long business journeys on the road. Flying by private jet is too often associated with luxury but being escorted from A to B in a faster and safer way is the most accurate picture one should have of business aviation. This knowledge gave him the confidence to want to supply a growing need for on-demand air travel.

“As a sales engineer executive, I would often find myself driving for hours just to meet my customers. Being on the road was tiring and at times even dangerous,” recalls Fragner when asked to explain the motive behind GlobeAir. “I, myself, possess a private pilot licence and would sometimes fly my Cessna 310, which I co-owned at that time, to substitute long drives. The difference was massive; I was essentially saving time as well as taking care of my health. That's when I realised that, like myself, many others could benefit from a private jet charter company.”

Not much time passed between Fragner's realisation that such a model could work and the founding of GlobeAir, which happened in Hörsching in Linz, Austria back in 2007. The next step was looking for an interested investor, and at the end of 2007, it was Mr Friedrich Huemer who accepted the proposal, impressed by the commitment. What followed were laborious periods spent partially in the USA and Europe, to work on the aircraft's fit.

It was in 2008 that GlobeAir acquired its air operator's certificate (AOC) and ultimately, received its first aircraft delivery. GlobeAir's very first passenger flew not long after; on September 15th 2008, Mr Gerald Schmidsberger was GlobeAir's first passenger flying from Linz to Osnabrück with Captain Fragner himself. “GlobeAir resulted in being the perfect solution for us: The service was perfect, the travel time was reduced and overall costs were just slightly higher than with a scheduled flight,” said Schmidsberger.

Today, GlobeAir's fleet comprises 16 Cessna Citation Mustangs and its call sign “DreamTeam” is a synonym for first-choice private jet charters in Europe. Back in 2006, though, when Fragner had the idea of founding an on-demand private jet charter company, he shared the same business model with more than 25 other start-up companies. The competition was high and so were the risks at stake. GlobeAir had to make well-thought decisions and be lead by proper management.

The first choice was down to which type of aircraft to acquire. Bringing passengers to their destinations in good speed, cutting travel costs, and ensuring high levels of security were the main deciding factors. The Cessna Citation Mustang 510 can go as fast as 340 knots and is equipped with reliable components, such as Pratt & Whitney's aircraft engines, Jeppesen and Garmin avionics.

Its dimensions were suitable to reach and operate at short-runway airports like Sion, St. Moritz or Bolzano, thus offering a real competitive advantage over traditional airlines. With almost 85% of business travellers flying alone or in pairs, this four-seater aircraft proved to be suitable for short trips, as well as bringing an economic advantage over the usual seven-seater private jets.

As of today, GlobeAir's 16 Cessna Citation Mustang jets with the traditional white livery keep the fleet homogeneous and ensure privacy and discretion for passengers; no wonder that among the start-up companies starting out with GlobeAir, none went as far as the DreamTeam.

Over the years, GlobeAir has established itself as an influential player in the business aviation industry and still, it builds its recognition on the team's achievements. The company has been partnering with the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) since 2010, and with the Baltic Air Charter Association (BACA) since 2011. Moreover, GlobeAir is the founder of a business jet alliance, founded in 2012 together with seven other European partner airlines.

The 10th anniversary also marks ten years since GlobeAir's very first partnership, which was established in 2008 with the Swiss-based aviation service company AeroEx. Since its early days and to ensure security and smooth processes on board, GlobeAir relies on renowned aviation manufacturer and software providers like Cessna, Pratt & Whitney, Garmin and Jeppesen.

Today, GlobeAir works closely with handling centres and FBOs in Europe as well as conducting good relationships with broker companies with which it collaborates on meaningful projects, like the recent Fly Victor Carbon Offset Programme, while serving them flights via Avinode, a business-to-business booking platform, which is also one of GlobeAir's long-term partners.

Ten years after its first flight, GlobeAir's success is founded on the ability to connect European capitals and hub centres like London, Paris and Geneva as well as mastering air movements in some of the most beloved holiday destinations (namely Olbia, Nice, Ibiza and Palma). Customers trust in its flexibility and can-do attitude, which is GlobeAir's real added value defining it as a concierge service company more than solely a private jet charter.

“Our mission is to serve the passenger from quoting to landing. We like to be thought of when travel disruptions occur. Just this month, for example, we helped a passenger to avoid missing a commercial connection. Our aircraft were all in flight, but we decided to divert an empty leg to meet the passenger halfway and bring her to her next flight. This was an immediate change of plans that not only won us a customer but demonstrates GlobeAir's attitude towards customer service: a business aspect that we've been treating as an asset for ten years.”

Customers can book online and get a tailored offer in just a few minutes; they are picked up at their favourite departure airports in Europe and escorted comfortably to their next destinations. When they travel with GlobeAir, passengers become temporary owners of the plane, thus allowing the flexibility that commercial airlines can never provide.

As of today, the DreamTeam is an international team consisting of more than 27 nationalities of highly skilled pilots, office employees and managers, maintenance and training personnel. Living through Fragner's mantra: Passion Into Profession, the team is a complex unit coordinated by strong IT infrastructures and effortful dedication. With the choice of keeping core business activities in-house, for example GlobeAir's accreditation as an approved training organisation (ATO) since 2016, the environment that Fragner has established is one of success and with the potential to last.