Sherpa Report, the ultimate source for in-depth information about the luxury market, recently interviewed Magellan Jets President and co-founder Anthony Tivnan about the company’s success throughout Covid, the value of keeping a flexible mindset, and setting expectations for customers during a tumultuous pandemic.
Speaking with Sherpa Report’s Susan Kime, Tivnan talked about the multiple pivots the company made after Covid-19 changed the industry. He reminisced about the early days of the pandemic, when revenue and flight activity decreased 90 percent—before bouncing back due to an influx of new, first-time private travelers. Tivnan described how Magellan refocused to service those new travelers’ needs.
“We went from the first pivot, fearing demise and loss, to an immediate opposite pivot where there was a huge demand for charters and jet cards,” Tivnan said. “This new market segment had not been conditioned to market fluctuation, and had to be educated on many levels. They came to understand why they chose private flying—an important idea with the Covid undertone. The essence of the lesson was that private flying was now more of a necessity than a luxury.”
As supply chain issues and unprecedented demand put a strain on private aviation, Magellan was able to keep up its commitments to customers and leave its programs open. Tivnan discussed the reason behind the decision not to close the company’s jet card and private jet membership programs.
SherpaReport: Other jet card companies have halted new card sales, but Magellan has kept its card sales open. Can you explain the rationale behind this decision? It seems noble yet somewhat dangerous, and Magellan-esque, and reflective, in terms of the ethics of the great explorer your company was named after.
Mr. Tivnan: We kept the cards so we could educate. We wanted our teams to educate those who bought them to understand that early promises of immediate travel on their jets could not be instantly accomplished, but could be within a more flexible time period. It is good that 90-95% of extant jet card members, and those who were interested in purchasing, understood these jet card issues. The team also explained the more customer-centric aspects of the company culture, and how they existed to create secure travel for the customer, no matter what, no matter how long it took.
Tivnan also spoke about how Magellan has navigated pandemic and supply chain issues that have challenged the company’s robust network, and how their teams have worked to set realistic expectations at a time when industry-wide issues are causing disruptions to normal operations. Click here for more information on ways to fly with Magellan Jets, or follow the link below to read the full Sherpa Report interview.
