Fly Louie is approaching the one year anniversary of its Fly Louie Alliance. The aviation start-up has signed more than 140 operators and over 1,000 aircraft to its private charter network in less than 12 months. The alliance membership now wields purchasing power equal to the largest combined fleet in the US.

As the Alliance Fuel programme approaches its first anniversary, the total quantity of gallons sold through Fly Louie ​also continues to grow. Despite an initial slowdown due to COVID-19, Q3 fuel sales increased 41 per cent over Q2.​ Continued expansion of this programme is expected, as Fly Louie activates a new partnership with Avfuel to bring seamless fuel purchasing to its Alliance members and its preferred FBO locations. Members in the Alliance, who pay no membership fees, enjoy better than contract fuel rates at more than 40 FBOs in key airports across the US, saving an average of 40 cents per gallon compared to their next best option.

CEO Julia Takeda says her team is actively working on additional benefits that are expected to launch before year-end. “We have only just scratched the surface in terms of what's possible in terms of creating value for our members. The scale of the Alliance creates opportunities for more efficient fleet scheduling, employee healthcare and benefits management, and even pilot recruitment.” In June, the team launched a crew travel savings programme, in partnership with HotelConnect.

The Fly Louie team expects to sustain Alliance growth, with ambitious sales goals for 2021. According to chief operating officer, Eytan Kurshan: ​“We are doubling down our efforts on member engagement, ensuring that our members are taking advantage of Alliance benefits. We're not only focused on helping operators, we're also bringing new business opportunities to our preferred FBOs and to partners like Avfuel and Hotel Connections. We want this to be a win-win for our members and partners.”