FLEXJET OPENED ITS UK offices in October 2019 with a party. It was the week before NBAA-BACE 2019, a busy time for everyone in the industry. Especially manufacturers. But it was no surprise that Mark Burns, President of Gulfstream; Michael Amalfitano, President of Embraer Executive Jets; and Jean-Christophe Gallagher, Vice President and general manager of the Customer Experience team at Bombardier Aviation were all on the guest list. All had found time to fly over the Atlantic to pop in. Two weeks later Flexjet repaid the visit with a series of orders.

This issue we focus on Directional Aviation – Flexjet’s parent – and its founder Kenn Ricci. Few businesses have the reach of Directional – its 14 different companies cover fractionals, jet cards, charter, maintenance, remanufacturing, air ambulances and more. In this in-depth interview, Ricci explains how he manages this range and why he is now looking to launch a listed vehicle (we managed to speak just before the stock market quiet period started).

One of the areas Ricci has been focussing on for a number of years is business jet technology. So, we hope he enjoys our feature on how new data technology is cutting costs and improving efficiency.

We also have an in-depth feature looking at how to get the best taste at altitude; first looks at the PC-12 NGX and the Embraer-Porsche Duet; a guide to why Malta is one of Europe’s fastest growing jurisdictions; and much more.

This is our last issue of 2020 – a remarkable year. And we would like to end by thanking all our readers, sponsors and advertisers for their support. It was not the year we, or anyone, were expecting. But thanks so much for being there.