A Decade Above The Rest
How We Raised The Bar In The Private Aviation Skies.
TOGETHER WITH MY PARTNERS, Matthieu Orioli (now COO) and Patrick Rossire (now CFO), we founded Simply Jet in early 2016, shortly after graduating from the École Hôtelière de Lausanne. Our ambition was to bring finest Swiss hospitality to the private jet charter industry. We entered the market with a service model based on personalised attention, lean operations, and a “Pay as You Fly” structure, removing the long-term commitments common in the market. This approach offered clients a more flexible and transparent way to access private air travel, clearly setting us apart from ownership or membership-based schemes.
From 2018 onwards, demand increased steadily, with the company recording consistent double-digit growth. As the business developed, we strengthened our commercial foundations, structured our internal processes, and laid the foundations for a more internationally focused business. These developments proved essential as we prepared for the scale-up that would follow.
The year 2020, marked by the Covid pandemic, brought major challenges for the global aviation industry, and Simply Jet was no exception. We initially focused on essential and repatriation flights, then experienced a brief slowdown in flight activities before a sharp rebound once restrictions eased. To meet this increase in demand, we welcomed six new team members in our Lausanne headquarters and extended our footprint abroad with the opening of our UK subsidiary in London. Our asset-light, agile model turned out to be particularly well-suited to an unpredictable market.
With the goal of broadening our offer, in 2021 we launched the Nova Jet Card: a fixed-rate programme designed for frequent travellers who require guaranteed availability, predictable pricing, and personalised service, thereby providing our clients with an option between on-demand charter and ownership-based solutions.
Our European expansion continued the following year with the establishment of Simply Jet France in Paris and the launch of our Group Charter division. This allowed us to manage flights for corporate events, sports teams, incentive trips, and institutional travel, coordinating operations for groups ranging from 20 to more than 500 passengers. In 2023, we further strengthened our presence in the German-speaking market with the opening of an office in Zurich.
That same year, as our activities matured and client needs evolved, we also took steps to support those exploring aircraft ownership. We opened an Aircraft Sales and Acquisitions department, backed by two specialists with more than 40 years of combined experience. This division provides full transaction management for buyers and sellers.
Services include aircraft evaluation, mission profiling, market analysis, professional marketing, buyer qualification, and the preparation of key documentation such as the Letter of Intent and the Aircraft Purchase Agreement. The team also oversees the Pre-Purchase Inspection, coordinates escrow, and collaborates with legal and tax advisers to ensure smooth and compliant closings. For acquisitions, clients receive assistance from budget planning and aircraft comparisons, followed by support through negotiations, due diligence, and regulatory formalities. For sellers, the division conducts inspections, reviews maintenance records, and prepares comprehensive marketing material to present aircraft effectively to qualified buyers.
Today, we continue to deliver tailored private air travel across Europe and beyond, supported by a trusted network of certified operators. From light jets for short trips to heavy and long-range jets for intercontinental journeys, clients can select the aircraft best suited to each mission. Helicopter options also provide direct access to destinations that are difficult or time-consuming to reach by road, including Alpine resorts, ports, and remote regions.
As we celebrate ten years in the aviation sector, what stands out most is the trust our clients and partners have placed in us. Their confidence has shaped our journey and continues to inspire us to keep raising the bar. Our dedicated team of over 45 members across four offices has driven an average annual growth rate of 20% for both revenue and flights, resulting in €43 million (CHF 40 million) in revenue and 2,500 flights organised in 2025.
Throughout this journey, we have maintained a human-centric approach, fostering a supportive environment that empowers our employees to grow alongside the company.
We can’t wait to see where the next ten years takes us.
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