Dubai-headquartered Vista Global has entered into an agreement to acquire JetSmarter, whose marketplace technology will fulfil Vista Global’s digitisation strategy following the latter's digital partnership with XOJET. The integration should facilitate the booking process for the 150,000 passengers travelling with any of the Vista Global companies each year.

Vista Global founder and chairman Thomas Flohr says: “Today’s acquisition is an important milestone for Vista Global, accelerating and executing our vision of digitising the entire private aviation offering. Customers want speed, reliability and value, which in today’s world is only possible with technology. Vista Global’s reach and infrastructure will take JetSmarter to the global stage to fully realise its potential. JetSmarter’s technology will digitalise Vista Global’s market-leading customer offering to Program members and On Demand customers.”

Rhône Capital managing director and co-founder Steven Langman adds: “The acquisition of JetSmarter is fully in-line with the company’s mission to transform the nature of the business aviation sector and offer its growing customer base a fast and seamless access to its services through digital innovation.”

The transaction is expected to be completed during 2Q19 and all JetSmarter investors will become investors in Vista Global.

The group owns VistaJet, Vista Lease, XOJET (fleet and sales) and soon JetSmarter.

In the meantime, JetSmarter has launched two round-trip crowdfunded flight options to Louisville, Kentucky, in May for horse racing enthusiasts. If members purchase the required number of seats to confirm the flight to Louisville, JetSmarter will provide a complimentary evening return flight back to their airport of origin. The company is also offering crowdfunded flights between Louisville and several major US cities such as Nashville, Pittsburgh, Boston, Chicago and DC, and in and out of Toronto, Canada, to south Florida. JetSmarter users can initiate a flight and choose the date and time of the departure, while sharing the cost equally with other flyers.