Managing Director Oliver Stone shares how he can best serve his clients, advice to jet buyers and why London matters.
What is the importance of having the Colibri Aircraft headquarters in London?
London is one of the world’s great financial cities, and as a result, we find many of our clients from around the world frequent London multiple times per year. Being here allows us to provide a more personal service to our clients and to better understand their needs and requirements by being able to meet with them face to face more frequently.
Furthermore, London has a number of maintenance facilities based here, and it is a big convenience allowing us to more efficiently oversee our clients’ aircraft during inspections.
Which aircraft sale or acquisition are you most excited about right now and why?
Each one is very different and has its own unique attributes, so it is hard to really choose one. However, one of my favourite experiences is helping a first time aircraft owner purchase a plane. I enjoy educating them about the market, the different facets of the industry and guiding them through the process to end up with an aircraft they are proud to own. We are in the middle of such a deal at the moment and I always find it enjoyable.
Who are your typical buyers?
Almost all of our clients are highly successful individuals who own and run incredibly successful companies. Typically, they are intentionally low-profile, often operating in industries that are not widely known and in companies that are not household names. All of them love aviation and need the flexibility to travel at their own schedule. Hearing the stories of our clients is one of my favourite parts of this business.
How do you handle the specific needs of your clients?
The aircraft brokerage business is, first and foremost, a service business. Any service business is built on good communication with the clients whom it serves. This comes in many different mediums in todays world (phone, email, WhatsApp, etc.), but the key is being responsive. A part of good communication is good education, so I work hard to keep them up to date with what we are seeing in the marketplace, what the meaning of each step in the transaction is and letting them know that we are there to help them and protect their interests throughout.
What advice you would give an aircraft buyer?
Be sure you know what need/want you are fulfilling by buying a jet. Expectation management is everything in private jet ownership, and keenly understanding your own personal motivation is key to a successful ownership. For example, some clients come to us and want to buy a jet to save money on their annual charter expenses. Owning a plane is more expensive than charter, and this expectation will never be fulfilled. Other clients want to buy a plane as a reward to success, and understanding what they want to see in a plane to satisfy that reward is key. Each motivation is different, and knowing true motivations allows a buyer to satisfy it.
What changes have you witnessed in the industry in the last years?
The biggest change has been a shift in the model of the brokerage business. 15 years ago, brokers mostly sold information. In today’s world where information is widely and freely available, good brokers have to focus much more on service. Colibri is, first and foremost, a service business, albeit one that happens to service clients who are buying or selling an aircraft. I believe that as new information platforms open up, the companies that will endure will be those that focus far more on the service and representation of their clients.
Also, in recent years, transactions are becoming far more complicated than they used to be. This is especially true in Europe, where regulations are more intense than in the USA. I believe this trend is only going to continue in the coming years.
Based in London, Oliver Stone is Managing Director at Colibri Aircraft and oversees sales and acquisitions in the UK and Europe. Oliver has over 16 years of aircraft brokerage experience.
E: oliver@colibriaircraft.com
P: +44 (0) 7584 638 894
