INTERVIEW
In 2014, you began to adopt the vision of offering only and exclusively a business class service. What was the market like then and what is it like today?
In 2014, the market continued to grow, and we knew there was room for a business class-only product. Our market share has grown year after year and, as a result of Covid, has become even more relevant, as today’s passengers want to travel less, but better. Our product allows people to fly on a less crowded plane and the fares are very attractive.
How did Mr. Vernet get to the top of the company (tell us about your professional background).
Christian has a technical background. He is an engineer and has more than 35 years of experience in the aviation industry. First as maintenance and engineering manager, then as ground operations manager at UTA, Corsair, Britair and Hop.
Christian joined Dreamjet Group in 2017 as General Manager and became President in November 2019.
You launched the new Milan-New York route at an unconventional time to travel. Have you changed your strategies because of the 2020 pandemic situation? If so, what are your new strategies now?
With the pandemic, we knew that we could not restart with 2 flights a day from Paris to New York, so we looked for alternative routes so that our two planes would fly almost every day. The NY-Milan route was third in terms of business class traffic. It was, therefore, obvious to focus on that new route as a complement to the New York-Paris route.
We attempted the launch of this route on November 21 (2021), but with the pandemic we were forced to postpone to April 22 (2022), hoping that the vaccine would help eradicate the disease. This was definitely a good choice, as people resumed flying just during last spring.
What is your ‘target’ customer? Do you plan to shift your target audience from business travelers to high-end ‘leisure’ travelers?
We appeal to the same kind of customers we target with our Paris-NY route: a mix of luxury and business travelers. The manufacturing classes are early adopters of our product: more human, bold and modern. We want to expand our target audience to other sectors, such as luxury, fashion, and high-tech companies, which appreciate this kind of smart product.
How important is the onboard service-particularly the food and wine-offered to this type of clientele?
As a Business Class airline, we take a strong interest in service quality. Food and wine are essential for both business and leisure travelers. That is why we have introduced Italian Culture into our service, through an offer of Italian food and wine, partnering with local chefs and brands, with the aim of becoming ambassadors of the typically ItalianArt of Living .
How do you select your onboarding partners?
We select brands and people who look like us: young, independent, bold, international. For cosmetics, we chose a comfort zone of the Davines Group, as it is synonymous with an Italian success story abroad. Their products are of high quality, the company is “people-friendly,” and pays close attention to the issue of sustainability. For coffee we work with Illy, a leading brand that produces the best coffee in the world and continues to grow internationally. For Chefs we selected the young and talented Italian chefs Lorenzo Cogo, Floriano Pellegrino and Isabella Poti, precisely because of their innovative approach to food.
How important is safety on board?
It is the foundation of the airline. No mistake can be made, otherwise there can be a catastrophe. We have just obtained the IOSA (Operational Safety Audit) certification recently issued by the IATA (International Air Transport Association). This certification-valid for two years-publicly affirms the compliance of our airline’s safety operation.
I know that, in the past, events have been organized on board: what are your reasons for creating these “shows”?
On a trip from Europe to the United States, people are stuck in a plane for eight hours, in one cabin. We thought they could be entertained so that they could make their flight experience even more memorable. We do events with partners in the art, food, film, literature, and beauty industries, such as devotees of the French and Italian art of living.
photos/PHOTOS Sergio GOGLIA PHOTOGRAPHER ASSISTANT RUSLAN TURVCAN PRODUCTION/PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Bruno di Ruggiero HAIR STYLIST enzo varca MAKEUP NATALY BONDAR LOCATION MILAN MALPENSA MODELS/MODELS Jane Hlotova, Victoria Villezcas and Dana Fesenko MODEL REN KHALEK – Next models agency
Dresses/CLOTHES collini pants/PANTS MODEL Perlagerosè
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collini jacket/jacket , ATTIC and barh shirt/shirt , Perlagerosè pants/pants
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