Bombardier Skyjet: Flawless Flight
Professional Services
Monday, 01 October 2007
rp Bombardier Skyjet: Flawless Flight - American Executive - RedCoat Publishing
Chris Milligan describes why this organization settles for nothing less than perfection.
For the latest generation of business travelers, flying first class no longer means purchasing a ticket with a commercial airline—it means hopping on board a private jet.

According to a survey by the National Business Travel Association, 56% of responding companies used corporate-owned jets, chartered private jet flights, or participated in fractional jet ownership in 2006. That’s compared to 27% in 2002.

Greater affordability in private jet travel, and flexibility and convenience over commercial flights, is driving the demand, and one company has positioned itself to meet the full spectrum of consumer needs—Bombardier. The world’s third largest aircraft manufacturer and maker of the iconic Learjet, the organization is also the parent to Bombardier Flexjet and Bombardier Skyjet, making it a true end-to-end provider in private jet travel.

Bombardier Skyjet: Flawless Flight - American Executive - RedCoat Publishing
Chris Milligan, Managing Director
“There are several niche players in our industry, but from providing one hour of charter to fractional ownership to building a $50 million jet, Bombardier does it all,” said Chris Milligan, managing director of Skyjet. “And for most customers, the point of entry, the first time they experience private jet travel, is through charter.”

That’s what makes Skyjet such an important part of the Bombardier family. The more businesses enjoy and find value in chartering a jet, the more they’ll be interested in fractional ownership through Flexjet, and eventually, ownership of a Bombardier aircraft. And that’s why Milligan and his team are taking the necessary steps to make every flight Skyjet charters completely flawless.

Fully optimized
In 1997, Trevor Cornwell founded Skyjet.com, a real-time, online private jet charter reservation service, from his garage in Washington, DC. In search of that point of entry service Milligan described, Bombardier acquired Skyjet in 2000.

Around that same time, Milligan was working in operations for Flexjet and just getting started on a system that would make a fractional aircraft operation—essentially an unscheduled airline in a constantly changing environment—manageable. Three years later, Flexjet successfully implemented a comprehensive, three-module optimization system that could simultaneously maximize the use of aircraft, crews, and facilities nationwide.

In a year, the system produced operational savings in excess of $54 million and began
producing additional savings of roughly $27 million annually—all without impacting customer service. The optimization system was such a hit, the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences recognized Bombardier Flexjet with its Franz Edelman Award for innovation in 2004.

“It’s fun for me, knowing we were ahead of the curve for our industry and today seeing all of the operational and customer service metrics we developed being used in fractional ownership,” Milligan said. “We hope to see the same level of success at Skyjet as we develop and grow.”

That’s just what Bombardier executives hoped when they named Milligan managing director of Skyjet in 2006. And in just a year, the private jet charter provider is already seeing results as Milligan and his team work to make every flight flawless.

Achieving excellence
You can’t manage what you don’t measure is a business axiom Milligan and his team take to heart. At Skyjet, employees are provided with a continuous improvement roadmap based on metrics measuring 18 key attributes associated with world class companies.

Skyjet uses those 18 attributes to set benchmarks for performance improvement, and it provides employees with the tools they need to reach them. Through a Bombardier-wide initiative called Achieving Excellence, six sigma and lean techniques long used by the manufacturing divisions are being incorporated throughout the organization.

“We’ve linked business performance with improvement methodologies,” Milligan said. “It’s empowered employees to reduce waste, create a safe and rewarding workplace, and deliver an amazing customer experience.”

Employees are engaged and motivated to improve by visibility boards with up-to-date key metrics posted around the company’s Richardson, Texas offices. And everyone keeps their eye on the ultimate metric of flawless flights—zero mistakes in any of Skyjet’s processes, from booking to catering to the flight itself. “It’s critical for us,” Milligan said. “If it’s not a flawless experience, our customers may question their decision to go to jet.”

Since the company embarked on its Achieving Excellence journey a year ago, few Skyjet customers are questioning their decision. In just 12 months, the company’s flawless metric has jumped from roughly 88% to 98%.

“At the end of the day, every division focuses on customer service,” Milligan said, “from those that maintain the aircraft to those that focus on providing the best charter experience possible. We really do have a team, and it’s a family effort on making sure that the customer is our first focus. For our customers, it all adds up to a flawless experience.”
 
< Previous Story   Next Story >