AINsight: Impact of Aircraft Management

March 18, 2021

Sheryl Barden of Aviation Personnel International spoke with Mike Mikolay of Guardian Jet about aircraft management in her March 2021 AINsight article.

As seen in Aviation International News:

At what point does it make financial sense to start an in-house operation? Once an owner increases the scale and scope beyond one aircraft, it may be time to ask that question.

Especially if the owner has the requisite team to manage the collateral duties involved. These include managing compliance, working with the FAA, scheduling, training, accounting, interfacing with the OEM, and communicating with executives or family members.

There’s tremendous value in having an aviation director or v-p who has direct access and insights into the organization or family office. According to Mike Mikolay, COO of Guardian Jet, the management company account lead typically doesn’t have a “seat at the table.”

“A leader of the aviation organization is set up for success when they understand where an organization is heading, and how the aviation team can add value,” Mikolay said. “In the corporate setting, the director is almost always part of their reporting executive’s leadership team. Conversely, when the client representative at a management company doesn’t have the same level of information, they can’t dynamically drive an aviation strategy to meet the company’s goals. That’s where they can fall short,” he explained.