Volato, the Atlanta, Georgia headquartered fractional HondaJet operator, has appointed Steve Drucker as chief technology officer. Since its inception, Volato has focused on delivering business model innovation through its fractional ownership and Stretch Jet Card programmes and can now accelerate its tech innovation and product development for the industry with this new CTO hire.

Drucker brings to the company nearly three decades of experience building development teams as well as enterprise and consumer facing products. He was previously the chief information officer and EVP of software engineering at a publicly listed company, project lead for www.wmata.com and has authored over a dozen books about software development for Salesforce.com, Adobe, Intel and others. Effective immediately, he will manage Volato's existing team of in-house developers.

"There currently exists a tremendous gap in the requirements for aviation operational and customer focused software services," explaines Josh Newsteder, director of operations at Volato. "From the very beginning, Volato has been aware of this opportunity and knows how tech can be a disruptor in the industry. We have been carefully working towards closing the gap, and Steve will be a critical part in the implementation of future plans. We are very excited to have him join our team to lead our technology efforts."

"I am delighted to join the team at Volato and to once again work with past colleagues that I have long respected," comments Drucker. "I am impressed with the company's vision for the industry, its culture of innovation and the building of aviation solutions that put its fractional owners and passengers first."

Volato operates one of the largest and most modern fleets of HondaJets in the world with 11 aircraft and 18 on order, and now offers fractional shares in a fleet of Gulfstream G280s. Other products include charter services; the Stretch Jet Card, the only in-fleet jet card that rewards flexibility; and Volato Aircraft Management Services with a focus on HondaJets and large cabin aircraft. With IS-BAO Stage II and ARGUS Platinum safety ratings and an accident-free history, Volato operates with the highest safety standards of any HondaJet operator. In addition, Volato offsets the CO2 on every gallon of fuel used by its fleet through its programme with 4Air and provides pilots with robust training and a balanced lifestyle. Volato is positioned to be an industry leader as it continues to develop the most innovative solutions in private aviation.