By Fly Aeolus
Becoming a pilot is a childhood dream for many. Flying, lots of travel, beautiful destinations: working in the aviation industry has something magical. But that’s only a one-sided view of the industry. Aviation has many other professions, from logistics and supply chain to hospitality, HRM functions and entrepreneurs. In the following blog we summarized you an interview about Fly Aeolus, published in the number 1 student magazine of the Netherlands: Memory Magazine: The Sky is the limit.
Working in the aviation industry
With a big smile on his face, he goes to the office every morning: “It’s a hobby that got out of hand,” says Stefaan Ghijs. The enthusiasm for aviation was sparked at an early age, although he never thought of becoming active as an entrepreneur in this sector. His company, Fly Aeolus, focuses on the business market and offers private flights.
“You can see it as an air taxi. We have 1,500 airports at our fingertips and can also land on grass in good weather, allowing us to catch and bring someone very close to his or her destination at any time. In total, three passengers can fly. This makes it an alternative to the car and can compete with the cheap scheduled flights”.
Fly Aeolus – affordable air taxi flights
In terms of time efficiency, Stefaan compares his service with a private jet only at better prices, but with just a little less comfort. “But apart from that, the machine does offer the necessary business comfort, for example it is equipped with a laptop and iPhone connection.” In total, Stefaan can rely on 15 aircrafts, which are stationed throughout Europe. “With Fly Aeolus we have taken a first step towards the car in the sky. That still sounds very visionary now, but I expect that this way of travelling will be very common in 10 to 20 years’ time. Companies like Ryanair and easyJet have made flying very accessible, we’re going one step further”.
For the time being Fly Aeolus still focuses on the business segment. “For fun it’s still awakening at the price”, says Stefaan. With a maximum occupancy of three people an hour of flying costs 750 € per person. The reactions that Stefaan gets from the industry itself are very different. “Where some people are furious, others are more sceptical.” The mix of working in the aviation industry and entrepreneurship offers Stefaan a sense of freedom, but also requires responsibility and discipline. “It’s a conservative industry, which is highly regulated for the purpose of security. In the beginning I was sometimes a bit naive, but you learn from that.” In the future, the Fly Aeolus concept will be extended to other regions. “I really believe in personal aviation.”
Click here for the original interview in Dutch.
Could we spark your interest in the air taxi business? Have a look at our destinations to find more information about where we could bring you.
Have a look at this blog if you want to read more about the aircrafts Fly Aeolus is flying with: Cirrus SR22.
Our team will be please to answer all your questions about private jets and air taxi traffic. You can get in touch with us by giving us a call +32 (0)3 500 9082 or text us at info@flyaeolus.com.
We are looking forward to hearing from you soon!