OpenJet

OpenJet provides a comprehensive operational platform for private aviation, streamlining flight management from scheduling and preflight to flight operations, handling, and crew management. The system incorporates intelligent algorithms powered by data science, leveraging an advanced optimization engine to analyze aircraft availability, crew scheduling, and regulatory adherence. This technology aims to enhance operational efficiency, reduce empty legs, and optimize staffing for diverse fleets, including mixed-type and helicopter fleets.

The company was founded in 2014 by Alexandre Azoulay, Frederic Bourbigot, and Raphael Vullierme. Their insight stemmed from recognizing the private aviation sector as an underserved market for real-time booking and integrated operational solutions. The founders identified a need for a unified platform that could bring advanced optimization capabilities to an industry traditionally reliant on more fragmented and less efficient processes.

OpenJet serves private aviation operators globally, enabling them to manage their operations more effectively and connect with a broader network. The platform empowers sales teams with real-time quotation and booking tools, alongside integrated CRM functionalities. OpenJet's long-term vision is to establish a truly optimized and connected ecosystem for private aviation, maximizing aircraft utilization and providing seamless, data-driven solutions for its customers.

High-Level Overview

OpenJet is a software platform providing an end-to-end flight management solution for the private aviation industry, addressing inefficiencies in charter bookings, operations, and optimization.[1][4] It serves private jet operators, charter companies, and aviation businesses by automating bookings, sales, crew scheduling, preflight planning, and compliance with FAA and EU-OPS regulations, using AI-driven optimization to boost aircraft utilization, cut empty legs, and reduce costs.[4] The platform solves core problems like manual quoting, round-trip payment mandates, and slow scheduling through real-time calculations of variables such as pilot availability, aircraft location, and airport slots, enabling per-seat bookings and integrations with tools like Salesforce and AMADEUS.[1][4] Initially launched as a real-time charter booking platform in 2014, it has evolved into a comprehensive operating system with strong growth in Europe following €3 million seed funding in 2016.[2][4]

Origin Story

OpenJet was founded in 2014 in New York City, emerging from the recognition of rampant inefficiencies in the private jet charter sector, where customers faced doubled costs from empty return legs and operators dealt with manual, delayed quoting.[1] The idea crystallized into a real-time booking platform, with early expansion into Europe in 2016 backed by €3 million in seed funding from SGH Capital and European angels, marking a pivotal moment for market entry.[2] Over time, it pivoted and expanded into a full operating system for aviation, developed by a team of PhDs in applied mathematics and AI after three years of R&D on its core optimization engine, OpenJet 360.[4] Key early traction included launching sophisticated software for fleet optimization, crew management, and real-time quoting, positioning it as a leader in business aviation tech.[1][4]

Core Differentiators

• AI-Powered Optimization Engine: OpenJet 360 analyzes thousands of variables—including aircraft and crew availability, regulations, and airport slots—in seconds to maximize utilization, minimize empty legs, and optimize mixed fleets or helicopters, outperforming manual processes.[1][4]
• End-to-End Operations Platform: Covers bookings, sales, scheduling, preflight (weight/balance, catering, fuel), crew apps, compliance tracking, and CRM, with real-time data push to pilots and automatic FAA/EU-OPS updates.[4]
• Sales and Revenue Tools: Real-time worldwide quoting/booking linked to operations, per-seat pricing for yield optimization, Salesforce integration, KPI monitoring, and AMADEUS partnership for travel agent access, creating new revenue streams.[4]
• User-Friendly and Scalable: Intuitive interface for operators of all fleet sizes, with custom billing, maintenance scheduling enhancements, and focus on developer-like efficiency in a traditionally analog industry.[4]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

OpenJet rides the wave of digital transformation in private aviation, the last major transportation sector to adopt real-time tech, amid rising demand for efficient, on-demand luxury travel post-pandemic.[1][4] Timing aligns with AI advancements in logistics and aviation regs demanding better compliance, while market forces like fuel costs, staffing shortages, and sustainability pressures favor its optimization for higher utilization and lower emissions via fewer empty flights.[4] It influences the ecosystem by enabling operators to compete with ride-sharing models (e.g., per-seat bookings), integrating with global distribution systems like AMADEUS to democratize access, and setting standards for AI in business aviation, potentially accelerating adoption across aerospace and travel tech.[2][4]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

OpenJet is poised to dominate as the OS for private aviation, with expansions into larger fleets, enhanced AI for predictive maintenance, and deeper GDS integrations driving revenue growth.[4] Trends like electrification of jets, regulatory pushes for efficiency, and AI ubiquity in transport will amplify its edge, potentially evolving it into a full ecosystem player influencing startup investments in aviation tech. As the charter market scales, OpenJet's real-time efficiencies position it to capture value from a fragmented industry, turning inefficiencies into scalable profits—just as it began by making jets book like hotel rooms.[1][2]