In March 2020, a young team, all working in business aviation, set up a company in order to operate a business charter airline which would stand apart from its competitors in terms of both product and services.
In Harm Müller-Spreer, a real estate entrepreneur based in Hamburg and an aviation enthusiast himself, founders Deniz Weissenborn (Managing Director, 28), Marc Rühl (Chef Pilot, 42) and Alasdair Smith (Head of Operations, 30) found an investor who was willing to help the business idea get off the ground.
A Distinctive Name
“We didn’t want to settle for just any old company name”, explains Alasdair Smith. When the investor suggested “Platoon”, the founding team liked it for several reasons. On the one hand, the name creates a connection to the investor, who also owns a yacht called Platoon – which won the World Championships in the TP52 class in 2017 and 2019. On the other hand, platoon is the English term for a subdivision of a company of soldiers forming a small military unit. The name is meant to evoke a specialised squad tasked with carrying out a mission efficiently. And within the company, it conveys a sense of togetherness to the team of employees, eleven in all for the time being.
A Young Team, a Modern Aircraft
As a new player on the market, Platoon Aviation knew it would have to stand out with a modern product. “Technologically, the PC-24 is a state-of-the-art aircraft which offers passengers a lot in terms of comfort, too – a bright, spacious cabin, for example, the flat floor throughout and first-class workmanship of the materials” says Deniz Weissenborn, adding “it’s a modern, high-quality product which simply fits well with our company philosophy”. Platoon Aviation took delivery of the first two PC-24 in Stans in the spring of 2021 year and the first Platoon Aviation PC-24 carrying charter customers took off on 11 June. Many flights have been completed since then. In the summer, Platoon Aviation primarily flies to typical holiday destinations, with Olbia, Nice, Majorca and Naples all high on the list. The clientele includes celebrities and business families, who give consistently positive feedback on the PC-24. The eye-catching livery chosen for the Platoon Aviation Aircraft ensures they look unique. The two additional PC-24 scheduled for delivery to Platoon Aviation next year will feature the same paint scheme. The interiors will be identical, too, to ensure a high degree of brand recognition.
Teamwork With Pilatus
Deniz Weissenborn appreciates Pilatus as a valued partner and emphasises the good working relationship so far. “Whether during the purchase phase or during the two deliveries, contact with Pilatus staff has always been very good, and I look forward to coming to Stans on each occasion.” The Platoon team is growing constantly and is likely to have doubled by the time the third and fourth PC-24 are delivered next year. The platoon ground operations team is based in Hamburg , but the aircraft have no fixed base. The aircraft are operated as a so- called “floating fleet”, i.e. they are all of the same type, and each one remains at its most recent destination until the next new mission comes in, thereby keeping the cost of positioning flights to a minimum.
“Whether for a flight to La Môle in France or Saanen in Obersimmental, the PC-24 takes our customers in comfort to destinations which other jets simply cannot access. We look forward to seeing our additional aircraft from Switzerland join our fleet”, says Deniz Weissenborn.