Last year was the most successful year for new aircraft acquisitions in its 22-year history, according to the company. It also reported what it described as “unprecedented growth” in consulting services. “Despite facing a flat market landscape, we’re committed to reinvesting and expanding in every facet of the business,” said Mike Dwyer, managing partner. “From bolstering our workforce to enhancing technological infrastructure and services, Guardian Jet has spared no effort in fortifying our position and driving growth.”

Investing in staff

Dwyer pledged to continue investing in staff, technology and services in order to  increase market share and drive growth. Technology investments include its online aviation asset management portal the Vault and the implementation of its call centre omnichannel technology platforms. These investments are enabling the company to expand its global footprint and client services, said the company.

“Our expansion into new markets, including Latin America, Mexico, the West Coast and Europe, necessitated the scaling of call centre operations to accommodate increased demand,” said Dwyer. 

To boost its global business, Guardian Jet has made eight appointments. President Doc Dwyer has been appointed to managing partner, alongside Don & Mike Dwyer. Also, Gabriel Bastos, formerly vice president of Sales has been appointed global head of Sales.

Hired six new staff

The company has also hired six new staff: Meghan Dwyer, based in France,  has been appointed sales director, Europe, Amber Gardner is now regional sales manager, West of the Hudson and John Ballenger has taken up the role of regional sales manager, mountain. Three other new hires include: Greg Sydor as regional sales manager for the mid-Atlantic region and Wyatt Breedlove and Brantley Gandy join as aircraft market researchers from the aviation programme at Auburn University. 

“These key leadership changes illustrate our desire to empower the next generation,” said Don Dwyer, managing partner, Guardian Jet. “While my brother, Mike, and I aren’t going anywhere, we want to harness the talents and capabilities of our star performers now and continue to lay the foundation for our continued growth and sustainability in the coming years.”

Guardian Jet new roles – at a glance

Appointments

• President Doc Dwyer appointed managing partner
• Gabriel Bastos appointed global head of Sales

New hires:

• Meghan Dwyer, sales director, Europe
• Amber Gardner, regional sales manager, west of the Hudson.
• John Ballenger, regional sales manager, mountain 
• Greg Sydor, regional sales manager, mid-Atlantic region
• Wyatt Breedlove and Brantley Gandy, aircraft market researchers.

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Andre Khury, CEO, ACASS said it is an exciting time in ACASS’s growth. “Both Claudio and Stevan bring a wealth of experience in their respective areas of expertise to the table. They fit in perfectly with our existing team and will be tremendous assets as we continue to expand our global service offerings and our presence and capabilities in the UK and throughout Europe,” he said.

Peer, the new vice president, will be based in Zürich, Switzerland. He will focus on speeding the growth of ACASS’s worldwide aircraft management fleet and strengthening its charter services. (Pictured above is a Gulfstream G450 offered for charter by the company).

Backed by more than 30 years of industry experience, Peer began his career at Swissair, moving from the hangar floor to the engineering department. He has held senior leadership roles, including most recently, vice president of Regional Sales for Aircraft Management and Charter Sales at Jet Aviation.

New sales director Tojagic will be based in London and will focus on increasing ACASS’s growth in the UK and Northern Europe. He has more than 12 years of business aviation experience. Most recently he worked for Bombardier as regional sales manager in its International Services Sales division. Before that, he operated his own jet charter business.

New at ACASS: (L to R) Claudio Peer and Stevan Tojagic.

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Etie comes to Duncan Aviation with 35 years of experience in engine maintenance, customer service, and regional sales.

“Pat is an experienced engine professional well-known in the aviation community,” said Troy Nail, Airframe and Engine Service Sales manager. “With his hands-on knowledge of all Honeywell HTF7000, TFE731, and APU models, and a genuine desire to provide top-notch customer service, he will quickly gain the trust and respect of aircraft operators in his territory. Patrick joins Duncan Aviation regional managers, several Engine Rapid Response launch teams and local satellite facilities in providing comprehensive service and support to our customers.”

Commenting on this new role, Etie said: “Throughout my entire business aviation career, I always considered Duncan Aviation a top-shelf company. The company has a near endless list of capabilities and some of the smartest customers who demand the highest-quality service. I look forward to the challenge.” 

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“My father is Chief Pilot for a Part 91 operation and l, like him, loved airplanes,” explained Heginbotham. “However, I did not love flying. I am a land-lover and went the maintenance route.”

Heginbotham’s career in aviation started by turning wrenches on Bombardier aircraft as an A&P for a Part 135 operation in Tulsa, Oklahoma. After several years, he moved on to the United States Air Force where he was an F-16 Crew Chief.

“I had great assignments and spent my first year in Kunsan, South Korea, and my last five years in Aviano, Italy,” said Heginbotham.

After separating from the Air Force, he moved to Wichita, Kansas, to be a project manager for Bombardier. He then moved back to Tulsa to be a director of Maintenance for an oil and gas company. That company was bought out by another oil giant during the pandemic, so he moved along to his last role as a director of Maintenance for yet another oil and gas company. Those roles brought Heginbotham to Duncan Aviation in Lincoln, Nebraska, as a customer.

“Duncan Aviation was the clear choice for me,” said Heginbotham. “As a customer, I had always valued the family business feel. I enjoyed every person I met there. The professionalism is second to none, and I wanted to be a part of a team that makes a difference in my career space. Duncan Aviation excels in that.”

As a Bombardier Airframe Sales representative, Heginbotham will provide accurate and timely information and quotes to Duncan Aviation’s valued customers by responding to their requests regarding current and future maintenance events on Bombardier aircraft.

“As a member of the Sales Team, we are a customer’s go-to person to get their airplane in the door at one of our facilities with the schedule they need,” said Heginbotham. “With the help of our Regional Sales manager team, we aid in establishing long-lasting relationships that are meaningful to the customer and Duncan Aviation.”

Duncan Aviation Airframe Service Sales manager Troy Nail said that Heginbotham brings a client perspective to the Sales Team.

“As a previous director of Maintenance, he has tremendous industry knowledge and experience that will be an asset to the Bombardier team and Duncan Aviation in general,” said Nail. “Drew comes with a very high upside in clientele relationship development and product knowledge. He has already proven to be a valuable asset to the team.”

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James Jaffa, founding partner at Jaffa & Co said: “I am extremely excited to announce that Ian Petts joins the Jaffa group for the launch of Jaffa Privé. Jaffa Privé is a logical evolution for the Jaffa brand, and something we have been working towards for a long time.”

The launch is in response to clients’ request for a continuation of the relationship with Jaffa & Co beyond a particular legal project. “Jaffa Privé, led by Ian Petts, allows us to satisfy that demand by joining forces with clients for the long term,” said Jaffa.

Previously head of Yachting & Aviation at Equiom, the corporate service provider, Petts focusses on jets, yachts, estates and investments. “I am thrilled to become part of the esteemed Jaffa Group and family as they take their brand to new heights on the global stage,” said Petts.

“As we spread the Jaffa wings internationally with Jaffa Privé, and introduce a suite of exclusive services tailored for family offices, discerning businesses, and Ultra-High Net Worth Individuals, our mission is crystal clear: Jaffa aspire to become the unparalleled trusted partner, and the go-to consultants for families and enterprises with luxury assets and investments, ensuring they have the smoothest and most enjoyable experience with their assets …”, he said. 

Petts has held a number of senior yachting roles including group finance director of broker and management company YCO after the global financial crisis.  He helped found the Young Professionals in Yachting Organisation in Monaco and is an adviser to the Yacht Cluster Monaco.

At the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Petts and his wife arranged for eight trucks of aid to go from Monaco to Ukraine. He drove one truck personally repatriating 12 mothers and their children. Pictured (L to R) are Jaffa and Petts.

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Reporting to the group CEO Richard Gaona, White (pictured left) will lead the completion specialist’s programme of modernisation launched several years ago. Gaona said: “Adam having lived in Switzerland and working with both the US and Europe makes him the ideal candidate to bring Comlux and Comlux Group to another level just in time for the upcoming opening of our new facility in Dubai.”

Before joining Comlux in 2019 as chief of technology, White’s 20-year plus career included roles at  General Dynamics companies Gulfstream and Jet Aviation. He has led company transitions and new product development in the US and Europe. 

White said:  “Having lived and travelled around the world developing new methods to increase productivity, reduce cos, and ultimately drive customer satisfaction, it feels as though my career has trained me for this specific opportunity. During his time at Comlux, headquartered in Switzerland, White had laid the groundwork for growth with its team of professionals, he said. “Together we are poised to redefine the Comlux space in the VVIP and business jet markets.”

Meanwhile Dryer (pictured right), who served as the CEO of Comlux Completion from 2019 until 2023, will join the  Comlux board of directors this month. Dryer joined the company in 2009 as manager of Mechanical Systems Engineering. He was promoted to chief operating officer in 2017. A mechanical engineering graduate from Missouri University of Science and Technology, Dryer is backed by a 28-year career in aviation.

Gaona thanked Dryer for his contribution and said in his new role, he “will play an essential role in shaping Comlux’s leadership in the industry”.

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Allan Stanton, founder of Stanton & Partners Aviation, said the appointments would speed the company’s global growth. “Stanton & Partners Aviation is committed to elevating the private aviation experience – and investing in the right talent is pivotal,” said Stanton. “As such, we are delighted to welcome two industry titans to our team. They are invaluable additions as we expand our regional footprint, enabling us to continue our growth as we build new and deepen existing relationships globally.”

Previously, president, Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ), Defforge “brings a deep understanding of the aviation industry and a wealth of experience — equipping him with the necessary expertise to successfully conceive and deliver strategies that will propel the company forward into a future marked by innovation” said the company.

Defforge has more than 35 years of aviation experience. After 15 years at engine manufacturer Safran, he spent 20 years with Airbus in various roles. He served as ACJ president for the past 10 years.

New COO and general counsel Nelson will lead the broker’s legal affairs and strategy. Nelson joins the team after spending 10 years with law firm Clyde & Co, where, as a partner, he led the aviation team in the Middle East and Africa. During this time, he was involved in more than $15bn worth of transactions for the sale, purchase, leasing, financing and operation of commercial aircraft, business jets, helicopters and engines on cross border transactions worldwide. Pictured (L to R) are: Stanton, Defforge and Nelson.

Meanwhile, CJI revealed last month that Chadi Saade had been appointed acting president, Airbus Corporate Jets. Saade took over the role several months ago, after the departure of former president Defforge.

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Baird, COO, oversees the company’s day-to-day operations and is reponsible for driving operational excellence and strategic alignment. He previously served in the same role plus CFO and board member at property rental business RedAwning.

Minty, CFO, leads JETNET’s finance, accounting, and HR functions. She joined JETNET in 2022 as vice president of Finance and brings experience in mergers and acquisitions, financial analysis and strategic planning to her new role.

Foss, senior vice president of Engineering, brings brings experience in delivering software and technology solutions across a variety of sectors including aviation. Before joining JETNET, Foss was vice president of Software Development at Absorb Software and served as director of IT at WestJet for more than 11 years.

Greg Kimball, the company’s new senior vice president of Product, previously worked in senior product management leadership roles at Validity and ReturnPath.

Derek Swaim, CEO, JETNET said: “When I joined JETNET a year ago, I believed the company had a huge opportunity to accelerate its growth by bringing more data and intelligence to the aviation marke. I am proud of the talented team who has helped us harness that opportunity to create incredible value for our customers and the company.”

Since June last year, after closing a majority strategic growth investment from Silversmith Capital Partners, JETNET has completed three acquisitions, said Swaim. These were: Asset Insight in October 2022, ADS-Exchange in January 2023 and WINGX in June 2023. The acquisitions enabled the company to expand product offerings with real-time flight data, flight data analytics and accelerate international growth, said Swaim. The company had exceeded 60% revenue growth and increased its customer base by more than 30%, he added.

Pictured (L to R) are: Greg Kimball, senior vice president of Product, Katherine Minty, CFO and Craig Smith, vice president of Program Management.

Read more about JETNET’s acquisition of flight data and insight company WINGX here.

JETNET new appointments – at a glance

1. Josh Baird: Chief operating officer
2. Katherine Minty: Chief financial officer
3. Eric Foss: Senior vice president of Engineering
4. Greg Kimball: Senior vice president of Product
5. Craig Smith: Vice president of Program Management
6. Julie Mandello: Controller.

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Aggarwal said: “Sharyar is a visionary financial leader with a remarkable M&A expertise and he has the ability to elevate the fiscal excellence at Aero Centers. We are confident that his exceptional skills and forward-thinking approach will not only drive growth, but also will optimise Aero Centers’ financial performance and usher in a new era of fiscal prudence and accountability.”

Scheeringa added: “Sharyar’s entrepreneurial thinking and disciplined execution are excellent matches with the SAR Trilogy Management and Aero Centers’ culture. He will ensure our financial capabilities support our greenfield and other growth strategies that are bringing new competition to the FBO market.”

Before joining Aero Centers, Aziz was a senior leader at FBO network Atlantic Aviation. He joined Atlantic Aviation as part of the merger with Ross Aviation in 2022, where he led M&A activities. Previously, Aziz worked at Moelis & Co., a global independent investment bank and at GE Capital in its Financial Management Program (FMP). He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from Yale University.

“I’m excited to join the exceptional Aero Centers team as they scale in the ever-evolving private aviation industry,” said Aziz. “Aero Centers has an incredibly bright future and I’m optimistic that my experience and insight will further enhance our ability to grow.”

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Roger Marszalek, director, Market Strategy and Product Marketing, Civil Aviation, CAE

CJI: How worried are you about the shortfall in aviation recruitment?

Roger Marszalek (RM): The industry has a big challenge ahead to meet the demand for aviation personnel. To meet the demand, industry stakeholders will have to work together, everyone from operators and regulators to training providers and educational institutions to attract, train, and retain talent.

The industry must embrace new solutions, technology and partners, including those from outside the aviation industry. For example, we must find ways to attract digital natives who spend most of their time browsing and interacting online to reach and appeal to Generation Z and open their minds to the possibilities and benefits of a career in aviation.

CJI: What’s more concerning the lack of pilots, technicians or cabin crew?

RM: Too few of either of the groups is a challenge, since pilots, technicians and cabin crew play an essential regulatory role in the safe operation of the air transport system. There are even other professions (i.e., ATC workers, OCC employees, instructors) that are not captured in our report that play a critical role in the air travel ecosystem.

Our forecast showed that each group presents a unique challenge for recruitment:

• Pilot demand is always unique due to its longer training pathway.
• Cabin crew demand shows the highest number of personnel needed.
• Aircraft maintenance technician demand shows the highest rate of personnel retiring.

CJI: What remedies are you deploying to remedy the challenge?

RM

• CAE has partnered with several airlines around the world, including easyJet, Jazz and Spirit, to provide ab-initio training and job opportunities upon successful completion of training.
• We champion initiatives like the CAE Women in Flight program to encourage more women to become pilots, working with various airlines, including easyJet and Air Canada, to provide various scholarship for their training.
• CAE continually invests in the development of high-tech solutions to make training more efficient while enhancing safety. We have deployed online learning tools, improved scheduling, and curriculums, and built a worldwide network of training centres to make the training process more efficient and effective.
• Introduction of Competency Based Training and Assessment to ensure pilots are “mission ready”.
• Products like CAE Rise and CAE Pelesys to improve training management and efficiency.
• CAE Parc Aviation: resourcing services help airlines and operators find the talent they need to allow them to respond to market opportunities quickly.
• Expanding our global footprint to meet demand:

New business aviation training centres:

• CAE Las Vegas (inaugurated in March 2023)
• CAE Savannah (scheduled to begin operation in late 2023)
• CAE Vienna (Scheduled to open in 2024)

New commercial aviation training centres:

CAE Athens (partnership with AEGEAN, set to open in 2024)

CAE Sydney (partnership with Qantas, set to open in 2024)

• CAE’s global civil aviation training network includes:
• 300+ full flight simulators
• 170+ aircraft
• 50+ training locations

CJI: To what extent do commercial airlines see bizav as a recruitment pool?

RM: Commercial pilot demand is up due to the strong recovery in travel post-covid and significant airline expansions planned over the next decade. There are more commercial aircraft in service (31k), and the fleet is expected to grow significantly (39% increase over ten years). The business jet fleet is smaller (22k) and is growing at a slower rate (18% increase over ten years). Regional airlines have parked aircraft due to lack of crew to fly them. Several airline executives have commented on the need for more pilots. Based on these market dynamics, commercial airlines will explore any possible avenue to recruit aviation talent.  

Jeannie Thorne, vice president, Human Resources, Elevate 

CJI: How worried are you about the shortfall in aviation recruitment?

Jeannie Thorne (JT): While recruitment of talent is always a challenge in any industry, Elevate Aviation Group has enjoyed a great deal of success of late.  As such, we have the opportunity to reinvest in our team members, offering opportunities for advancement and career development while also enjoying the stability of a company founded over 20 years ago.  Of late, we are finding that our unique client-centric focus offers a compelling reason to join our team.

CJI: What’s more concerning the lack of pilots or technicians?

JT: As the catchphrase goes, it really does take a village.  Ours is a service-centric industry, where safety and reliability are equally vital to success.  Both pilots and technicians are areas to focus on, as are all of the professional disciplines necessary to deliver a truly world class experience

CJI: To what extent do commercial airlines see bizav as a recruitment pool?
JT: Elevate Aviation is a unique company, deeply experienced in both transport category transportation and executive jet solutions.  Many of our team, including our holding company’s President Randy McKinney, started their careers at commercial airlines.  The management experience and sophistication of these executives is truly extraordinary.  I suppose we see the commercial airline industry as a recruitment pool for executive aviation as much as the other way around.

Brian Foley, founder, Brian Foley Associates

Perhaps the pilot shortage has been discussed for so long in our industry that it has just become a given that it exists, even if it doesn’t.    

There hasn’t been a lot of pilot job hopping, suggesting there’s not unlimited opportunities due to some shortage.   In speaking to flight departments I have not heard of a systemic lack of candidates.  More recently with some of the mega-fleet charter operators experiencing financial challenges, the potential pool has grown even larger

If there’s any pilot constraint it lies with training capacity which is indeed a real issue.   I’ve heard that some classes require the actual name of the pilot for a reservation, and that making pilot substitutions or reserving an open slot cannot be made.  This makes it difficult for a company when onboarding a new pilot who needs recurrent or a type training, as the wait can be lengthy before they can complete the course and start working.  

On the technician side, if a firm is willing to pay for talent then they aren’t as scarce as we’ve been led to believe.  Hourly employees are willing to go across the street for a relatively modest pay increase, so it’s in everyone’s best interest to pay them a competitive wage. 

Delta Air Lines

Spokesman: At Delta we are constantly working to ensure that our staffing levels are calibrated to properly support the needs of our safe, reliable operations.

Pilot hiring at Delta remains robust, at a rate of about 200 pilots per month, and is expected to continue for the coming months. We expect to hire more than 2,000 pilots in 2023 to support future growth.

Through our skills-first approach to hiring, and through initiatives such as our Propel Pilot Career Path Program, we are creating new, equitable pathways for qualified pilot candidates and aspiring pilots to join our team at Delta. Since its inception in 2018, more than 100 Propel participants have graduated and are now flying Delta customers with another 700 currently in the program.

In addition to our community, collegiate and company Propel pathways, we now offer a flight academy path with partial funding from Delta. This broad funnel approach will help sustain a steady pipeline of talented pilots for years to come.

Delta plans to hire between 4,000 to 6,000 additional flight attendants in 2023 to support Delta’s continued growth and bolster their work-life balance.

Delta’s longstanding and strong reputation as a great place to work continues to attract talent across our business, including for aviation maintenance technicians. To date in 2023, we’ve hired more than 700.

In recent years, Delta has established partnerships with more than 50 FAA-certified aviation maintenance training institutions around the US. We have also bolstered our strategic recruitment of transitioning military personnel, veterans and their families along with initiatives to cultivate new technician talent in collaboration with our regional partners and to upskill members of Delta’s existing workforce.

United Airlines

Spokesman:

Hiring at United

• At United, we’re hiring across all major metro areas – coast-to-coast at our seven major domestic hubs – Newark, D.C., Chicago, Denver, Houston, San Francisco and Los Angeles – and many cities including Orlando, Boston, Colorado Springs to name a few.
• We’re hiring across a broad range of positions: we need pilots, technicians, flight attendants and agents but we also need accountants, technologists, lawyers, finance experts, cyber experts and network planners to run our business.
• To date, we’ve hired more than 10,000 people and are on track to bring on more than 15,000 people by the end of the year. Last year (2022), we hired 15,000 people.

Pilots

• Last year we added more than 2,400 pilots – that was our highest pilot hiring year ever – 85% more than 2021.
• This year we’ll add about that same number of pilots. In fact, we already hired more than 1,400 pilots and are well on track to add 10,000 pilots this decade.

Tech Ops (maintenance technicians)

• Since January, we’ve hired over 1,550 maintenance technicians. In the first five months of the year, we’ve hired nearly as many technicians as we did last year – and are confident we will meet our goal of hiring 2,500 maintenance technicians this year alone.
• To support our ambitious growth plan, we need to hire more than 7,000 maintenance technicians by 2026.

Flight Attendants

• We’ve received more than 20,000 applications for the 4,000 flight attendant roles we need to fill this year. That brings our Year-to-Date total to over 32,000, exceeding the total number of applications we received last year alone.

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