1 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:06,269 Sean Aylmer: Welcome to the Fear and Greed Daily Interview. I'm Sean Aylmer. 2 00:00:06,570 --> 00:00:08,789 Sean Aylmer: We've got a little bit of luxury for you today. 3 00:00:09,030 --> 00:00:11,250 Sean Aylmer: Much like podcasts, there seems to be a start up 4 00:00:11,250 --> 00:00:15,090 Sean Aylmer: for everything these days, and that includes the rarefied world 5 00:00:15,090 --> 00:00:18,360 Sean Aylmer: of private jets. Airly is a company that aims to 6 00:00:18,360 --> 00:00:22,260 Sean Aylmer: make private air travel more affordable and more accessible. It 7 00:00:22,260 --> 00:00:24,810 Sean Aylmer: certainly made me curious, even just for a taste of 8 00:00:24,810 --> 00:00:28,260 Sean Aylmer: how the top 0.1 per cent live. Luke Hampshire is the 9 00:00:28,260 --> 00:00:30,840 Sean Aylmer: CEO of Airly. Luke, welcome to Fear and Greed. 10 00:00:31,170 --> 00:00:32,160 Luke Hampshire: Yeah, thanks for having me. 11 00:00:32,490 --> 00:00:34,740 Sean Aylmer: So how do you end up in the job you're in 12 00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:36,810 Sean Aylmer: running a jet company? 13 00:00:37,350 --> 00:00:41,940 Luke Hampshire: Yeah, really interesting. So Airly was founded in 2015. We were obviously conceptually 14 00:00:41,940 --> 00:00:44,760 Luke Hampshire: working on things many years prior to that. I've always 15 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:46,920 Luke Hampshire: been in aviation. I was that kid that caught the 16 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:49,650 Luke Hampshire: school bus to the airport after school and I was a 17 00:00:49,650 --> 00:00:50,400 Luke Hampshire: baggage boy for Hazelton. 18 00:00:51,390 --> 00:00:51,720 Sean Aylmer: Ah, yeah. Where did you grow up? 19 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:55,840 Luke Hampshire: In Merimbula, south coast of New South Wales. 20 00:00:56,220 --> 00:00:58,350 Sean Aylmer: Oh right. Hazelton was a great little airline. 21 00:00:58,620 --> 00:00:59,490 Luke Hampshire: Oh, wasn't it. 22 00:00:59,490 --> 00:01:02,130 Sean Aylmer: Around regional New South Wales. Yeah. Now, part of Rex, of course. 23 00:01:02,350 --> 00:01:04,920 Luke Hampshire: Exactly right. So that was my job getting dropped off 24 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:07,500 Luke Hampshire: after school. And that was at the tender age of 14. 25 00:01:07,500 --> 00:01:09,569 Luke Hampshire: And I guess I've always been in and around aviation. 26 00:01:09,750 --> 00:01:12,270 Luke Hampshire: Where Airly came about, I guess, is just understanding that 27 00:01:12,270 --> 00:01:14,610 Luke Hampshire: the benefits of flying private when you're in the industry, 28 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:16,830 Luke Hampshire: you get to see the ins and outs of how 29 00:01:16,830 --> 00:01:19,440 Luke Hampshire: it all works. And private aviation was something that really 30 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:21,840 Luke Hampshire: connected with me. And I guess just how simple it is, 31 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:24,390 Luke Hampshire: how seamless it is. And yeah, it was just more 32 00:01:24,390 --> 00:01:26,640 Luke Hampshire: of how can we make this accessible to more people 33 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:29,610 Luke Hampshire: because Australia is a very infant market, I guess you 34 00:01:29,610 --> 00:01:31,920 Luke Hampshire: could call it not as educated as, say, the US, 35 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:34,230 Luke Hampshire: but how can we make that accessible to more people? 36 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:37,470 Luke Hampshire: So that's how we all started out back in 2015. 37 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:40,860 Luke Hampshire: We formally started Airly and the rest is history. 38 00:01:41,100 --> 00:01:43,530 Sean Aylmer: So take me through how Airly works today. 39 00:01:43,830 --> 00:01:45,959 Luke Hampshire: Sure. So there's, I guess, a core mission of Airly 40 00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:49,770 Luke Hampshire: is to make private aviation simpler to understand, accessible to 41 00:01:49,770 --> 00:01:52,260 Luke Hampshire: more people and at a more palatable price point. We 42 00:01:52,260 --> 00:01:54,570 Luke Hampshire: do say affordable, but I think it sends the wrong 43 00:01:54,570 --> 00:01:57,420 Luke Hampshire: message that we're on par with Jetstar or economy. It's 44 00:01:57,420 --> 00:02:00,150 Luke Hampshire: definitely not the case still. But ultimately, Airly still does 45 00:02:00,150 --> 00:02:03,450 Luke Hampshire: the private jet broker model as well, booking a jet 46 00:02:03,450 --> 00:02:06,390 Luke Hampshire: for A to B for those who need us but I think more 47 00:02:06,390 --> 00:02:08,730 Luke Hampshire: of our interest and passion comes from the unique business 48 00:02:08,730 --> 00:02:11,550 Luke Hampshire: models that we're bringing in, which does address that accessibility 49 00:02:11,550 --> 00:02:14,370 Luke Hampshire: and affordability. We've got what's called our shared program, which 50 00:02:14,370 --> 00:02:17,070 Luke Hampshire: enables you to initiate or opt into a shared flight 51 00:02:17,070 --> 00:02:20,160 Luke Hampshire: along the East Coast on a private aircraft, prices starting 52 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:22,860 Luke Hampshire: at $1195 per seat or one thousand one hundred ninety 53 00:02:22,860 --> 00:02:26,040 Luke Hampshire: five per seat. Really unique. That's where it all started 54 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:29,160 Luke Hampshire: trying to change the status quo. And more recently, we 55 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:33,180 Luke Hampshire: launched a product called Access, which is a pay per hour program. 56 00:02:33,180 --> 00:02:34,620 Luke Hampshire: You only pay for the time you're in the jet. 57 00:02:34,620 --> 00:02:37,320 Luke Hampshire: So again, it's just flipping the model on how it's 58 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:38,810 Luke Hampshire: been done, I guess, in the past. 59 00:02:39,300 --> 00:02:39,620 Sean Aylmer: Yeah. 60 00:02:39,780 --> 00:02:41,310 Luke Hampshire: I guess the way you look at us, we do 61 00:02:41,310 --> 00:02:43,889 Luke Hampshire: cover budgets top to bottom. We just acquired a company 62 00:02:43,889 --> 00:02:46,050 Luke Hampshire: that does the lower budget side of things. But it's 63 00:02:46,050 --> 00:02:48,540 Luke Hampshire: those two programs that I talk about that is really 64 00:02:48,540 --> 00:02:50,670 Luke Hampshire: what Airly is about and how we work on where 65 00:02:50,669 --> 00:02:51,750 Luke Hampshire: we put a lot of our focus. 66 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:53,790 Sean Aylmer: Okay. So do you own the aircraft? 67 00:02:54,540 --> 00:02:57,060 Luke Hampshire: At this stage, no. So we've got really good partners 68 00:02:57,060 --> 00:03:00,210 Luke Hampshire: that provide us the aircraft and crew. Obviously, over the 69 00:03:00,210 --> 00:03:02,520 Luke Hampshire: years we've known who to get really close with and 70 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:03,420 Luke Hampshire: who to perhaps avoid. 71 00:03:04,110 --> 00:03:04,500 Sean Aylmer: Yeah. 72 00:03:04,830 --> 00:03:08,010 Luke Hampshire: So we've got a couple of incredible operators that provide us with 73 00:03:08,010 --> 00:03:11,040 Luke Hampshire: a really safe and secure service for our customers and 74 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:12,270 Luke Hampshire: can scale with us as well. 75 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:15,900 Sean Aylmer: Okay. And so effectively, you're leasing the aircraft for the 76 00:03:15,900 --> 00:03:17,880 Sean Aylmer: time you're using them. Is that how it works? 77 00:03:18,090 --> 00:03:20,100 Luke Hampshire: Yeah, that's the best way to put it. We pay 78 00:03:20,100 --> 00:03:23,640 Luke Hampshire: a fee to that operator that covers the fuel, covers 79 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:25,950 Luke Hampshire: the aircraft, comes the pilot, and then we build it 80 00:03:25,950 --> 00:03:26,820 Luke Hampshire: into our model. Yeah. 81 00:03:27,030 --> 00:03:29,610 Sean Aylmer: So who are your customers? Who uses the service? Is 82 00:03:29,610 --> 00:03:30,960 Sean Aylmer: it who we would imagine it would be? 83 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:33,630 Luke Hampshire: No. And I guess that's what gets me up every 84 00:03:33,630 --> 00:03:36,330 Luke Hampshire: morning is because ninety five per cent of our consumer base 85 00:03:36,330 --> 00:03:38,640 Luke Hampshire: you won't find on a rich list or on the Mayne Report. 86 00:03:39,030 --> 00:03:42,240 Luke Hampshire: They're sophisticated men and women. And obviously, the thing for 87 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:44,040 Luke Hampshire: us has always been to get more women on board. 88 00:03:44,040 --> 00:03:47,100 Luke Hampshire: Leaders in industry and leaders are, you know, an entrepreneurial type. 89 00:03:47,430 --> 00:03:49,980 Luke Hampshire: No customers are the same. That's the intriguing thing. We haven't 90 00:03:49,980 --> 00:03:54,270 Luke Hampshire: got all entrepreneurial tech CEOs. We haven't got all, I 91 00:03:54,270 --> 00:03:57,330 Luke Hampshire: guess you could say sort of semi retired business folk. But 92 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:00,750 Luke Hampshire: we really do have a broad range of customers that 93 00:04:00,750 --> 00:04:04,140 Luke Hampshire: use Airly and that's probably the most exciting thing for us. 94 00:04:04,140 --> 00:04:08,790 Luke Hampshire: It is that middle market that perhaps hasn't been tapped yet. So, yeah, 95 00:04:08,790 --> 00:04:12,240 Luke Hampshire: we've got twenty one year old ecommerce entrepreneurs. We've got, 96 00:04:12,600 --> 00:04:16,410 Luke Hampshire: you know, semi retired folk up in Byron Bay that 97 00:04:16,740 --> 00:04:19,650 Luke Hampshire: they've built an incredible business and understand the utility. I 98 00:04:19,650 --> 00:04:21,960 Luke Hampshire: think that's the big thing for us is they're not 99 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:23,849 Luke Hampshire: signing up because it's a private jet. They sign up 100 00:04:23,850 --> 00:04:26,279 Luke Hampshire: because they understand the core utility of flying private. 101 00:04:26,610 --> 00:04:30,810 Sean Aylmer: Yeah. Okay. So what are the most, you mentioned the very 102 00:04:30,810 --> 00:04:32,159 Sean Aylmer: north coast of New South Wales then? 103 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:32,490 Luke Hampshire: Yeah. 104 00:04:32,850 --> 00:04:34,680 Sean Aylmer: You operate on the East Coast. What are the most 105 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:36,720 Sean Aylmer: common routes that you'd fly? 106 00:04:37,230 --> 00:04:39,180 Luke Hampshire: Before this pandemic, it was Melbourne, Sydney. 107 00:04:39,180 --> 00:04:39,480 Sean Aylmer: Right. 108 00:04:39,540 --> 00:04:42,539 Luke Hampshire: Clearly Melbourne, Sydney. And then probably number two was Sydney, 109 00:04:42,540 --> 00:04:45,119 Luke Hampshire: Gold Coast. So those that are in Sydney with a 110 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:48,239 Luke Hampshire: holiday house up the coast. So I think since the 111 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:50,760 Luke Hampshire: pandemic had started, Sydney to Byron Bay would almost be 112 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:54,210 Luke Hampshire: the new Melbourne to Sydney. It's all intrastate. It's just interstate. 113 00:04:54,210 --> 00:04:56,940 Luke Hampshire: There's no border concerns. And it's an hour and 20 114 00:04:56,940 --> 00:04:59,039 Luke Hampshire: minutes up the road, I guess you could say. And 115 00:04:59,580 --> 00:05:01,460 Luke Hampshire: that's where a lot of our flights are to and 116 00:05:01,470 --> 00:05:04,450 Luke Hampshire: from now. But with Winter, with a new program that we 117 00:05:04,450 --> 00:05:07,970 Luke Hampshire: launched called Access that I spoke about before, we're going 118 00:05:07,970 --> 00:05:11,140 Luke Hampshire: into Cooma a lot more now and yeah, and then 119 00:05:11,140 --> 00:05:13,099 Luke Hampshire: it's a quick one hour drive up to the Alps. 120 00:05:13,100 --> 00:05:13,609 Sean Aylmer: To the snow. 121 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:14,110 Luke Hampshire: Yeah. 122 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:16,930 Sean Aylmer: Yeah. Okay. So how did COVID impact your business? You were only sort 123 00:05:16,930 --> 00:05:19,120 Sean Aylmer: of going for four years and that hit. That must have been 124 00:05:19,130 --> 00:05:19,750 Sean Aylmer: pretty tough. 125 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:22,300 Luke Hampshire: I think we struggled like everyone did at the start 126 00:05:22,300 --> 00:05:24,490 Luke Hampshire: when the whole country basically locked down. There was a 127 00:05:24,490 --> 00:05:28,150 Luke Hampshire: lot of unknowns. Overall, I wouldn't say it's been great 128 00:05:28,150 --> 00:05:31,150 Luke Hampshire: to us, but it's perhaps allowed those that were sort 129 00:05:31,150 --> 00:05:34,750 Luke Hampshire: of in our core market to perhaps review how they 130 00:05:34,750 --> 00:05:37,930 Luke Hampshire: fly and look at other options out there. And adding 131 00:05:37,930 --> 00:05:40,210 Luke Hampshire: to that change to business models and how we go 132 00:05:40,210 --> 00:05:43,210 Luke Hampshire: about our business. We've seen exponential growth. I mean, in 133 00:05:43,210 --> 00:05:45,190 Luke Hampshire: the past financial year, our revenues up four hundred and 134 00:05:45,190 --> 00:05:45,900 Luke Hampshire: thirteen per cent. 135 00:05:45,910 --> 00:05:48,909 Sean Aylmer: Wow. Is that because of the convenience? Is it because people 136 00:05:48,910 --> 00:05:50,950 Sean Aylmer: didn't want to take commercial flights or is it because there 137 00:05:50,950 --> 00:05:52,089 Sean Aylmer: weren't commercial flights? 138 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:54,640 Luke Hampshire: To be honest there were several components of it. So there 139 00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:56,080 Luke Hampshire: is that component of I don't want to wear a 140 00:05:56,080 --> 00:05:59,380 Luke Hampshire: mask on a flight. There's the facet of the airlines 141 00:05:59,380 --> 00:06:02,590 Luke Hampshire: cancelling flights left, right and centre. So the knowledge that 142 00:06:02,589 --> 00:06:04,570 Luke Hampshire: that jet is waiting for you and will go when 143 00:06:04,570 --> 00:06:07,360 Luke Hampshire: you're ready sort of flips the script as far as 144 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:10,810 Luke Hampshire: scheduling is concerned. But there's also just the persistence. We've 145 00:06:10,810 --> 00:06:13,180 Luke Hampshire: kept our head down and kept, I guess, on the 146 00:06:13,180 --> 00:06:15,670 Luke Hampshire: same path the whole time. We haven't chopped and changed 147 00:06:15,670 --> 00:06:19,420 Luke Hampshire: too much about or pivoting. It's just being consistent and 148 00:06:19,420 --> 00:06:22,330 Luke Hampshire: really building that relationship with our customers that has shown 149 00:06:22,330 --> 00:06:25,180 Luke Hampshire: them start to convert. So that there's a few facets 150 00:06:25,180 --> 00:06:28,659 Luke Hampshire: in there. COVID definitely has made people think twice about travel, 151 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:31,210 Luke Hampshire: which isn't good for the whole industry. But when they 152 00:06:31,210 --> 00:06:33,729 Luke Hampshire: do travel, I think privates become more of an option, 153 00:06:33,730 --> 00:06:36,520 Luke Hampshire: especially when you provide a product where it's perhaps more 154 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:37,720 Luke Hampshire: palatable financially. 155 00:06:38,370 --> 00:06:40,840 Sean Aylmer: Yeah. Okay. Stay with me, Luke. We'll be back in a minute. 156 00:06:45,880 --> 00:06:49,440 Sean Aylmer: My guest this morning is Luke Hampshire, CEO of Airly. 157 00:06:49,839 --> 00:06:52,150 Sean Aylmer: So what's it like? So let's say I'm in Sydney 158 00:06:52,150 --> 00:06:53,679 Sean Aylmer: and I want to go to Byron or I want to go to 159 00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:56,530 Sean Aylmer: Cooma for the snow. I tell you when I want 160 00:06:56,529 --> 00:06:57,310 Sean Aylmer: to leave? 161 00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:00,070 Luke Hampshire: Yep. So I think the best way to pitch this 162 00:07:00,070 --> 00:07:03,370 Luke Hampshire: sort of experience is via the Access program. So we're 163 00:07:03,370 --> 00:07:06,599 Luke Hampshire: just getting our app updated at the moment to facilitate that. 164 00:07:06,610 --> 00:07:09,130 Luke Hampshire: But you'd basically book your flight. Tell me what date, 165 00:07:09,130 --> 00:07:11,080 Luke Hampshire: what time, and how many of you are going. 166 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:13,690 Sean Aylmer: So how many of us, they're mostly four seaters are they? 167 00:07:13,690 --> 00:07:16,180 Luke Hampshire: Yeah, under the Access program, it's a four seat jet, 168 00:07:16,180 --> 00:07:18,700 Luke Hampshire: but we can get you jets up to 14 seats. 169 00:07:19,180 --> 00:07:22,110 Luke Hampshire: That's under just general charter, which is the more expensive option. 170 00:07:22,420 --> 00:07:23,440 Luke Hampshire: So let's say it's just... 171 00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:24,100 Sean Aylmer: Four of us. 172 00:07:24,230 --> 00:07:26,080 Luke Hampshire: Yeah, let's just say there's four of you. Through the 173 00:07:26,380 --> 00:07:28,800 Luke Hampshire: app, you can book a transfer. We'll have our chauffeur come to your house, 174 00:07:28,810 --> 00:07:30,970 Luke Hampshire: pick you up. The exciting thing about this jet, too, 175 00:07:30,970 --> 00:07:32,920 Luke Hampshire: is it has a dedicated ski tube. So if you have 176 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:34,300 Luke Hampshire: skis or a board, you can bring it with you. 177 00:07:34,330 --> 00:07:34,660 Sean Aylmer: Right. 178 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:37,570 Luke Hampshire: They'll drive you out to ExecuJet at Mascot Airport there. 179 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:39,580 Luke Hampshire: So you hang a left before you get to the 180 00:07:39,580 --> 00:07:40,420 Luke Hampshire: domestic terminals. 181 00:07:40,600 --> 00:07:40,830 Sean Aylmer: Yeah. 182 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:43,090 Luke Hampshire: The jet goes when you're ready. So you'll walk into 183 00:07:43,090 --> 00:07:45,310 Luke Hampshire: the lounge, grab a coffee, relax. The captain will come 184 00:07:45,310 --> 00:07:47,200 Luke Hampshire: grab your bags, put them on the jet, and when 185 00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:48,960 Luke Hampshire: you're ready to go, you'll walk out to the plane. 186 00:07:48,970 --> 00:07:52,210 Luke Hampshire: It's about 10 to 15 metre walk out of the lounge. Put 187 00:07:52,210 --> 00:07:54,520 Luke Hampshire: your seatbelt on. The captain will fire up the engines 188 00:07:54,520 --> 00:07:57,410 Luke Hampshire: and you'll be out of Sydney within ten minutes, I guess, 189 00:07:57,430 --> 00:08:00,100 Luke Hampshire: because it's a longer taxi and it's a normal flight time. 190 00:08:00,100 --> 00:08:02,380 Luke Hampshire: Flight times always the same. There's no fast and not 191 00:08:02,380 --> 00:08:04,870 Luke Hampshire: really much slower, but it's the in-flight experience as well. 192 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:08,060 Luke Hampshire: So we have gourmet catering options that are individually packed. 193 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:11,140 Luke Hampshire: One of our customers who flew on on Access flight said 194 00:08:11,140 --> 00:08:13,660 Luke Hampshire: the muesli was the best he has had ever. And 195 00:08:13,660 --> 00:08:15,580 Luke Hampshire: I laugh and I'm like, yeah, okay, you're trying to 196 00:08:15,580 --> 00:08:17,530 Luke Hampshire: be nice. And he goes, no, it really was the 197 00:08:17,530 --> 00:08:18,610 Luke Hampshire: best I've had. 198 00:08:18,630 --> 00:08:21,460 Sean Aylmer: I'll jump in here. So someone has paid whatever they 199 00:08:21,460 --> 00:08:25,030 Sean Aylmer: pay for a flight to wherever, Luke. And the best thing 200 00:08:25,030 --> 00:08:25,850 Sean Aylmer: about it was the muesli. 201 00:08:25,900 --> 00:08:29,020 Luke Hampshire: I want to think, I want to think it was all enjoyable. 202 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:29,890 Sean Aylmer: I am sure it all was. 203 00:08:31,630 --> 00:08:34,040 Luke Hampshire: The stand out was the captain and the muesli. The music 204 00:08:34,040 --> 00:08:36,670 Luke Hampshire: got a special mention. So that really made my day 205 00:08:36,670 --> 00:08:39,400 Luke Hampshire: when I read that. But ultimately. Yeah. So you have 206 00:08:39,410 --> 00:08:42,460 Luke Hampshire: beautiful in-flight catering. The cabins quieter. It's far more intimate. 207 00:08:42,460 --> 00:08:44,860 Luke Hampshire: You can talk to each other. You can do business privately 208 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:47,829 Luke Hampshire: if that's what you want to do. You'll land. And 209 00:08:47,830 --> 00:08:49,870 Luke Hampshire: let's say you're going to Cooma. We'll have a van 210 00:08:49,870 --> 00:08:52,150 Luke Hampshire: meet you at the airport, captain and the driver will 211 00:08:52,150 --> 00:08:54,960 Luke Hampshire: transfer all your bags onto the van. And, you know, 212 00:08:55,030 --> 00:08:57,910 Luke Hampshire: it's another 15 metre walk to the van and you're 213 00:08:57,910 --> 00:09:00,309 Luke Hampshire: in Thredbo an hour later. So if you look at 214 00:09:00,309 --> 00:09:03,310 Luke Hampshire: the flight time component, nothing's really changed. But it's everything 215 00:09:03,309 --> 00:09:05,590 Luke Hampshire: around that flight time. The jet goes when you're ready. 216 00:09:05,620 --> 00:09:08,710 Luke Hampshire: Let's say you're at a lunch with a client or 217 00:09:08,710 --> 00:09:10,870 Luke Hampshire: a colleague and you go, oh, God, I've only got 218 00:09:10,870 --> 00:09:13,480 Luke Hampshire: twenty minutes to get to the airport. It's fine. You message the Captain and 219 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:16,570 Luke Hampshire: it's generally not an issue. So that's what the experience 220 00:09:16,570 --> 00:09:20,290 Luke Hampshire: is like. People still first time flyers arrive at the 221 00:09:20,290 --> 00:09:23,200 Luke Hampshire: lounge an hour before and you go, wow, why? Go 222 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:24,640 Luke Hampshire: live your life. I mean, the jet will go when 223 00:09:24,640 --> 00:09:25,120 Luke Hampshire: you're ready. 224 00:09:25,150 --> 00:09:25,480 Sean Aylmer: Yeah. 225 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:27,970 Luke Hampshire: And there's no need to wait around. That's why private 226 00:09:27,970 --> 00:09:30,370 Luke Hampshire: is what it is. Because it will wait for you. 227 00:09:30,910 --> 00:09:31,900 Sean Aylmer: Yeah. Oh, I'm, I'm sold, Luke. 228 00:09:33,940 --> 00:09:36,070 Luke Hampshire: Well, it's just it is really hard to explain. You know, the 229 00:09:36,070 --> 00:09:38,620 Luke Hampshire: cabins are really nice. I'm a six foot seven. Right. 230 00:09:38,650 --> 00:09:42,340 Luke Hampshire: So I hate economy. I even dislike the emergency exit rows. 231 00:09:42,340 --> 00:09:44,560 Luke Hampshire: I hate cramming into a metal tube with one hundred 232 00:09:44,559 --> 00:09:47,410 Luke Hampshire: and fifty other people. And you're one of one hundred 233 00:09:47,410 --> 00:09:49,569 Luke Hampshire: and fifty. Right. You might not be in business class. You 234 00:09:49,570 --> 00:09:52,000 Luke Hampshire: get a little bit more attention. Everything about is about 235 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:54,940 Luke Hampshire: you when you fly private. Your captain talks to you. Everything is 236 00:09:54,940 --> 00:09:58,420 Luke Hampshire: moulded around what you are wanting, where you wanting to 237 00:09:58,420 --> 00:10:01,540 Luke Hampshire: go and at what time. It's just a very different feeling. 238 00:10:01,780 --> 00:10:03,939 Luke Hampshire: And that's why we sort of try to cover the 239 00:10:03,950 --> 00:10:06,070 Luke Hampshire: top to bottom range of budgets, because you can come 240 00:10:06,070 --> 00:10:09,250 Luke Hampshire: in and empty leg for, say, two thousand dollars outright from, say, 241 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:11,910 Luke Hampshire: Sydney to Byron Bay on that four seater. It's, what, 242 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:13,920 Luke Hampshire: five hundred dollars if you took some friends with you. 243 00:10:14,400 --> 00:10:16,410 Luke Hampshire: Each. You only have to do it once and then you're hooked. 244 00:10:16,440 --> 00:10:20,170 Sean Aylmer: Yeah. And you just mentioned the empty jets and that was 245 00:10:20,170 --> 00:10:22,270 Sean Aylmer: a purchase you made. The idea with that is that 246 00:10:22,270 --> 00:10:25,360 Sean Aylmer: it's kind of spare capacity that you have that people 247 00:10:25,360 --> 00:10:25,929 Sean Aylmer: can use. 248 00:10:26,500 --> 00:10:29,170 Luke Hampshire: Yeah, there was a really exciting acquisition and it came 249 00:10:29,170 --> 00:10:31,120 Luke Hampshire: about when we were setting up our Access program and 250 00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:33,280 Luke Hampshire: partnering up with that operator and they just acquired a 251 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:35,500 Luke Hampshire: company and he sort of tapped me on the shoulder 252 00:10:35,500 --> 00:10:37,840 Luke Hampshire: and said, oh, EmptyJets might be up for sale if 253 00:10:37,840 --> 00:10:40,809 Luke Hampshire: you're interested. They've been at it since 2003. I think 254 00:10:40,809 --> 00:10:43,030 Luke Hampshire: it was. They were the first. They were the pioneer 255 00:10:43,030 --> 00:10:45,970 Luke Hampshire: in Australia to make this more affordable and more accessible, 256 00:10:45,970 --> 00:10:49,120 Luke Hampshire: the whole private aviation product. So all they do is 257 00:10:49,240 --> 00:10:51,820 Luke Hampshire: sell empty legs. So when an empty flight is generated 258 00:10:51,820 --> 00:10:54,580 Luke Hampshire: from a one way or perhaps we might have dropped 259 00:10:54,580 --> 00:10:56,440 Luke Hampshire: you off in Cooma and then flown down to Melbourne 260 00:10:56,440 --> 00:10:58,780 Luke Hampshire: for the next trip. It opens up that capacity. And 261 00:10:58,929 --> 00:11:01,780 Luke Hampshire: I guess it's priced in to the model. So you're 262 00:11:01,780 --> 00:11:03,670 Luke Hampshire: paying a fraction of the price to be able to 263 00:11:03,670 --> 00:11:06,490 Luke Hampshire: experience it. The only downfall is that you're fixed to 264 00:11:06,490 --> 00:11:09,310 Luke Hampshire: someone else's schedule. So let's say you were flying on 265 00:11:09,309 --> 00:11:11,410 Luke Hampshire: that Access flight from Sydney to Cooma and you had 266 00:11:11,410 --> 00:11:13,000 Luke Hampshire: that late lunch and went, well, I'm going to be 267 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:15,240 Luke Hampshire: half an hour late. You might be sitting in Cooma 268 00:11:15,250 --> 00:11:18,130 Luke Hampshire: waiting to fly that empty leg and you might be 269 00:11:18,130 --> 00:11:20,920 Luke Hampshire: running a little bit late. It's really good for opportunistic 270 00:11:20,920 --> 00:11:23,770 Luke Hampshire: last minute travel. It's almost like a mystery flight. And 271 00:11:23,770 --> 00:11:27,610 Luke Hampshire: we've seen countless customers start with us. They're now members so 272 00:11:27,880 --> 00:11:29,620 Luke Hampshire: I shouldn't even call them customers because they are part of 273 00:11:29,620 --> 00:11:31,270 Luke Hampshire: that membership now because when they got a bit of 274 00:11:31,270 --> 00:11:33,100 Luke Hampshire: a taste on an empty leg and then they can't 275 00:11:33,100 --> 00:11:35,650 Luke Hampshire: go back. So many people that after their first flight say, 276 00:11:35,650 --> 00:11:37,359 Luke Hampshire: how am I supposed to go back to commercial now? 277 00:11:37,900 --> 00:11:40,089 Luke Hampshire: Because it really is so different. So EmptyJets was a 278 00:11:40,090 --> 00:11:42,309 Luke Hampshire: great acquisition. We closed that at the end of the 279 00:11:42,309 --> 00:11:45,890 Luke Hampshire: financial year. We're going to apply some herbs and spices, 280 00:11:45,890 --> 00:11:48,860 Luke Hampshire: I guess, from Airly's perspective on the product, and hopefully 281 00:11:48,860 --> 00:11:50,570 Luke Hampshire: it'll be a nice little company for us that does 282 00:11:50,570 --> 00:11:51,490 Luke Hampshire: cover top to bottom. 283 00:11:52,250 --> 00:11:54,290 Sean Aylmer: Luke, it's been a great story and it's really good 284 00:11:54,290 --> 00:11:56,780 Sean Aylmer: to hear a company doing so well during COVID. So 285 00:11:56,780 --> 00:11:58,030 Sean Aylmer: thank you for talking to us on Fear and Greed. 286 00:11:59,120 --> 00:12:00,290 Luke Hampshire: Thanks for having me, Sean. Pleasure. 287 00:12:00,650 --> 00:12:03,010 Sean Aylmer: That was Luke Hampshire, CEO of Airly. 288 00:12:03,230 --> 00:12:05,330 Sean Aylmer: This is a Fear and Greed Daily Interview. Join me 289 00:12:05,330 --> 00:12:07,610 Sean Aylmer: every morning for the full Fear and Greed podcast with 290 00:12:07,610 --> 00:12:10,640 Sean Aylmer: all the business news you need to know. I'm Sean Aylmer. 291 00:12:10,670 --> 00:12:11,450 Sean Aylmer: Enjoy your day.