Q&A with Dalibor Skunca, Jung Sky's Sales Manager

Given the fact (private jet) brokers are the No.1 channel through which Jung Sky flights are sold, what do you think are the most important factors in a operator-broker communication line?

It is important to understand their position and to always be aware that the operator greatly helps the broker in building a relationship with the client (passenger) which ultimately reflects on the relationship between the passenger and the operator. Having this in mind, the brokers appreciate 24/7 availability, being fast and efficient in resolving inquiries and situations that may arise before, during and after the flight as well as, of course, the accuracy and reliability of information we provide. Also, since the Covid-19 pandemic and because restrictions are so diverse throughout Europe, Jung Sky Sales, along with our Operational Control Center, performs a much higher number of activities related to the procedures and documentation required for flight preparation. Ultimately, the brokers want the flight to be carried out with maximum care and quality because passenger feedback is important for monitoring and improving the quality of our services.

Do brokers contact you directly via e-mail or do they use sourcing (digital) platforms?

Not all broker companies are active on those digital platforms so we definitely receive a certain number of direct e-mails asking us to quote a certain flight, but yes - we mostly communicate through platforms, predominantly through Avinode. On average, we receive about 100 inquiries a day, although during summer months that number is higher than 200 a day. Our Avinode response time is 9 minutes while the standard recommendation is 45 minutes. The accuracy of the price offered by Jung Sky is 92%, with a minimum of 80% being the standard recommendation. We create about 600 contracts and invoices per year and, so far, we have worked with more than 1,000 clients.

In the context of business aviation sales, what have you noticed during this Covid-19 era?

For starters, there are significantly more ad-hoc flights because the pandemic makes it almost impossible to plan couple of weeks ahead. Consequently, the operators had to adjust their cancellation policies. Furthermore, there are more return flights than before Covid when one-way flights were the majority and there is way more documentation that must be obtained in order to organize a certain flight. Also, Covid related restrictions and regulations vary from country to country and region to region, making it impossible for us to plan or guarantee anything.

What do you think, what’s the future like for business aviation?

The future of business aviation was always bright and the Covid-19 pandemic really put an additional spotlight on the many benefits of flying private. I believe this niche will continue to grow. There is no waiting at airports, the clients themselves define the flight schedule, they choose from which airport they want to fly and where to and flights can be arranged in just couple of hours. Then there’s also, of course, the health and safety issue. Private jets enable you to isolate yourself from large crowds and avoid spending time in confined and closed spaces with people you don’t know.