Thomas Flohr launches Vista Global to consolidate fragmented aviation market

Thomas Flohr launches Vista Global to consolidate fragmented business aviation market, supported by a further $200M investment

• Vista Global Holding is set to consolidate the business aviation industry
• Endorsed by further $200m investment from global private equity firm Rhône Group
• Headquartered at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC)
• The fully integrated group will offer global, all-encompassing, asset-lite services for every customer:
  • For guaranteed access to aircraft: VistaJet’s Program, available anytime, anywhere around the globe, clients only buy the hours they need;
  • For dedicated aircraft: Vista Global’s leasing and trade-in solutions for business aviation;
  • For the On Demand market: simple and efficient technology-based fleet solutions, where clients get instant online access to aircraft;
  • For the marketplace and operators: proprietary technology upgrading and automating the entire communication flow between end client and aircraft operators.

Today Thomas Flohr launches Vista Global Holding (“Vista Global”), a revolutionary aviation group headquartered at the DIFC which will spearhead the consolidation of the fragmented and expanding business aviation market. Vista Global is the world’s most comprehensive business aviation group and is built on four pillars with complementary services for consumers and trade. It is the first group that has built the scale and the know-how to offer the entire set of private flying solutions for its clients, setting a new global benchmark for the industry.

Vista Global’s fleets will provide every customer with asset-lite solutions to fly point to point anytime, anywhere at a moment’s notice – either with guaranteed aircraft availability or On Demand. In addition, Vista Global will offer the very first worldwide leasing and financing service for customer looking to purchase a dedicated aircraft. Complementing its consumer and trade offer, Vista Global will also support aviation companies looking to improve services to their clients through the most advanced technology, providing an end to end platform in a very fragmented global operator marketplace.

The Group is headquartered at the DIFC, the leading financial center that serves global clients from all destinations as well as its exceptionally strong connection to business aviation travelers in the whole world.

Vista Global has been my vision ever since I started VistaJet in 2004. I wanted to create something truly new, something that would industrialize and consolidate the fragmented business aviation market across the entire range of flight service offerings. It is a historic moment for aviation and is the first of its kind. Vista Global is unrivalled in its service to offer all clients the full range of business aviation services on a global scale – flights, technology, finance.

Thomas Flohr

In order to serve each pillar of customer needs, three companies are part of Vista Global today, and the group is well positioned to make further acquisitions going forward:

• VistaJet, the leading global business aviation solution with a fully dedicated fleet for premium fliers offering guaranteed availability anytime and anywhere around the globe
• Vista Lease, the global aircraft leasing and financing company for client dedicated aircraft solutions;
• TechX, the cutting-edge aviation technology firm offering end to end solutions for both customers and operators

The launch of Vista Global is backed by longstanding supporters of Thomas Flohr’s enterprises, the global private equity firm Rhône Group. The financial group is investing an additional $200 million, strengthening Vista Global’s balance sheet as it looks to take advantage of future acquisition opportunities.

Our investment in Vista Global builds on the relationship with Thomas Flohr and the support for VistaJet we announced last year. In Vista Global we see the organization that will transform the nature of the business aviation sector and the one that is best-placed to take advantage of the changes of the industry. Vista Global’s business model and strategy give it a superior position in the market place. We could not be more pleased to have invested in such a dynamic industry pioneer.

Steven Langman, Chairman and Co-Founder of Rhône Group

Vista Global’s premier flight service offer is VistaJet, the market-leading aviation operator founded in 2004. The company pioneered an innovative business model where customers have access to an entire global fleet whilst paying only for the hours they fly, free of the responsibilities and asset risk linked to aircraft ownership. VistaJet provides members the ultimate service on its fleet of over 70 branded silver with red stripe jets and with guaranteed availability to service over 96% of the world.

Vista Lease will start operations in 2019. Thomas Flohr and his team from a former aircraft leasing and trading business have developed substantial experience and reputation in the space, with the prior company having ordered, financed and delivered a book of over $1.5bn of fixed assets between 2012 through 2017. Vista Lease will hold several options for Global 7500 aircraft, as well as having the capitalization to act as principal buyer in the pre-owned segment and then offer its inventory for lease directly to its customers, who seek a dedicated aircraft solution. The company will disrupt an unnecessary and dated process which involves customers being forced through a broker to broker chain and will look after an addressable market of over 7,000 super midsized and ultralong range jet aircraft.

TechX is the aviation technology pillar, with 50 technology specialists and will build off and further enhance existing proprietary technology. The company’s mission is to create end-to-end services to allow companies to find customers, manage bookings, track flights and plan trips directly with operators, all on one platform. Furthermore, TechX provides its partners with technology and data science to deliver a personalized service to their customers, effortlessly. TechX addressable market are all 40,000 fix and rotor wing business aircraft in use around the globe.

Vista Global plans to expand its fleet within the next 3 years, further strengthening its current global coverage and infrastructure to serve every customer’s needs around the globe.

View launch video here.