The Little Jet Company with big ambitions
(Back) Captain Peter Hamlet, Bernadette Bishop, Martin Harrison, Caroline Lewis, first officer Matt Yemm (Front) ArranWatkins, captain. Jason Bishop (director), first officer Barry Preece (director)
They were probably not the first schoolboys to play in the shadow of an airport and dream of one day flying and owning their own jets, but for Jason Bishop and Barry Preece it came true. And the business they worked day and night to get off the ground, Gloucestershire Airport-headquartered The Little Jet Company, has just treated itself with a rather special fifth birthday present. What is it that every jet-owning enthusiast wants more than anything else? Another plane, of course. In this case a third Citation Bravo. The Staverton firm provides services including privately owned jets for charter, management of aircraft and ground handling services. Clients who fly on board include sports celebrities, film stars, and entrepreneurs, but it has also flown organs for transplant and even had one of its jets star in the James Bond film Skyfall. Mr Bishop and Mr Preece met at the nearby Chosen Hill School and played in the grounds of the airport as young boys. After becoming pilots, they never lost sight of their dream of running their own business, and since 2014 thousands of people have chosen to fly with them for business and leisure. In 2018, the company opened a new office at the airport between Gloucester and Cheltenham and a dedicated passenger lounge due to its growth and success – and now there is the additional plane. ‘This is an exciting time for us and we are looking forward to the future,’ said Mr Preece.
‘I’m very proud of our fantastic team who go above and beyond to ensure customer satisfaction.’ The busiest time for the company is during the annual Cheltenham Gold Cup Festival. Some clients will book a year in advance to secure a charter with them. Their private jets have also provided flights for family holidays and business people use them to get to meetings and even held meetings on board. The Little Jet Company has made it possible to leave Gloucestershire just after 8am, fly to Paris for a two hour meeting, and arrive back in Gloucestershire before 3pm that day. “Our clients expect the best and that’s what we aim to deliver," said Mr Bishop, who still regularly flies the jets as a captain.“We do not compromise on safety and standards and we are available day and night. We stick to our motto which is Aviation without Compromise and we always want to achieve this for all of our clients.” VIP catering is sourced from “local high quality suppliers and tailored to exact specifications”. Fine wines and champagnes are carried as standard. The company has had specific requests including caviar, sushi and a china tea pot on board, all part of the personal promise. Clients are offered a concierge service, which can arrange everything from hotels to a chauffeured service to the airport. Travellers can even take their pets on board, thanks to the new recent pet approval from DEFRA l For further information please contact Martin Harrison at The Little Jet Company on 01452 857606 or email martin.harrison@thelittlejetcompany.com
68 | December 2019 | www. punchline-gloucester .com
Made with FlippingBook Learn more on our blog