Business aviation customers are abandoning traditional ownership patterns while demanding heightened security solutions and technology integration, according to industry executives speaking at the 2025 JetNet Summit in Washington, D.C.
The transformation encompasses fundamental changes in customer demographics, with the conventional “finance bro” customer evolving into what Joe Barber, chief commercial officer of Clay Lacy Aviation, described as the “digital economy pathfinder” representing biotech entrepreneurs and generational wealth transfers. McKinsey research indicates women now control approximately 32% of global wealth, translating to increased female involvement in aircraft ownership decisions.
“We’re seeing more women in charge of aircraft ownership, specifically. We’re seeing it more often that they’re making decisions,” Barber said during the September 9 panel discussion, “Customers in the Room.”
Fortune 500 companies and ultra-high-net-worth individuals continue to dominate the customer base, but management transitions are reshaping operational approaches. Michael Fedele, president of Execaire Aviation, observed that younger executive teams “view business aviation tools differently than their predecessors” and “often want to see it being used more commercially than perhaps in the past.”
The generational shift extends beyond corporate environments to family wealth structures, where established decision-making hierarchies face disruption as responsibilities transfer to new stakeholders with different priorities and management philosophies.
Non-linear Ownership Patterns
Traditional progression models from charter services to fractional ownership to full aircraft ownership are breaking down as customers adopt what Barber characterized as a “meandering” approach to aviation services. This portfolio strategy involves tactical decisions about when to deploy different service models based on mission requirements rather than following predictable advancement paths.
Canadian market data illustrates this trend’s acceleration. Fedele reported that fractional flying started to surpass charter operations in August 2022, followed by “a steady settling of charter flying hours” as blended usage models gain traction. Customers increasingly maintain ownership positions while simultaneously using charter and fractional services for specific travel requirements.
“We have owners with an airplane, we have clients who are charter clients who own a fraction, but they’re using charter to cover a different type of travel need,” Fedele explained.
Corporate Flight Departments under Pressure
Corporate flight departments operating in the U.S. face intensified scrutiny and must articulate value propositions beyond traditional return-on-investment calculations. Ruben Kempeneer, president of AIN Media Group, noted that corporate flight department numbers remain relatively stable, although these operations must demonstrate expertise in return on intangibles alongside financial metrics. “The corporate flight department in the U.S. is a pretty unique entity. There are more than 1,300 corporate flight departments in the U.S. We don’t see that growing or falling away hugely. I think there’s a lot to be said for keeping that asset in-house.”
Retirement patterns among longtime aviation managers are forcing companies to reassess operational structures. Fedele highlighted how organizations previously dependent on trusted aviation directors for decades now question whether to replace retiring personnel or transition aircraft operations to management companies.
“A lot of companies for a long time trusted the operation of their flight department to an aviation manager or director they’ve known for a long time, and that person is either retiring or approaching retirement. They’re now thinking, what are we going to do?” Fedele said.
Security Concerns
Multi-faceted security risks have emerged as primary customer concerns, encompassing physical asset protection, cybersecurity threats, GPS jamming incidents, terrorism considerations, and data sovereignty issues. Recent GPS jamming incidents affecting high-profile flights have elevated these concerns across the industry.
Fedele described the evolving security landscape as “becoming a much more complicated world to fly in. There are a lot of new challenges now beyond the personal security of the traveler; there’s also the physical asset security, cybersecurity, where you’re putting your airplane, at what airport, and how is that airport secured? Do you need to augment that security? Is there a threat of terrorists, or eco-terrorism, which is now a concern? How are you dealing with that?”
The industry currently lacks comprehensive security solutions, requiring operators to develop tactical, operation-specific programs while serving as trusted advisors for customers navigating complex risk environments. Insurance considerations now routinely include “war risk” packages covering risks such as malicious acts and sabotage.
Customer satisfaction standards increasingly align with consumer technology expectations rather than traditional aviation benchmarks. Kempeneer noted that “aviation is increasingly not being judged by aviation standards” as customers demand services that are “perfect, fast, and [have] no problems.”
This shift creates operational challenges for service providers struggling to meet instant gratification expectations within an industry requiring methodical safety protocols and regulatory compliance. The disconnect between consumer technology response times and aviation operational requirements continues to generate customer frustration.
Panelists emphasized the need for enhanced integration of enterprise resource planning systems, customer relationship management tools, and off-the-shelf technology solutions to address evolving service expectations and maintain competitive positioning.
Kate Janoff, director of global brand management and strategy at Gulfstream Aerospace, acknowledged that “there continue to be obstacles and barriers” while emphasizing the importance of continued innovation and industry partnerships to “streamline and make access to aviation as simple as possible.”