Best Startup
At Best Startup UK we track over 130,000 UK startups and over 500,000 people who hold key positions in these companies. We use this directory of startups to highlight top employees, founders and board members we think deserve more appreciation than they are currently getting.
This list showcases the top United Kingdom based CEO’ operating in the Air Transportation space. If you think a CEO’ is missing from this list, feel free to contact our editor on editor@beststartup.co.uk.
The individuals on this list have been included because of exceptional performance in one of the following categories:
- Innovation – Operating as a key part in an extremely innovative business or startup.
- Growth – Operating as a key figure in the growth and upscale of a market leading business or startup.
- Management – Showing exceptional management skills.
- Societal impact – Putting their business on the map for their positive societal or environmental impact.
Our Data – We source our data from OSINT (open source intelligence) and public directories such as Companies House UK, Crunchbase, SemRush and many more. The data from these sources should be treated with a degree of caution and verified yourself.
Shai Weiss
Chief Executive Officer of Virgin Atlantic Airways
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About Gevo, Virgin Atlantic Airways: Virgin Atlantic Airways is a British airline serves over 30 fabulous destinations worldwide.
Stephen Fitzpatrick
CEO and founder of Vertical Aerospace
Stephen Fitzpatrick is the CEO and founder of OVO energy and Vertical Aerospace.
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About Kaluza, OVO Energy, Vertical Aerospace: Vertical Aerospace builds technology to revolutionize how people fly, by making air travel personal, on-demand, and carbon-free.
Dave Pflieger
CEO of Flybe
Dave Pflieger is the CEO at Flybe.
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About Flybe, Island Air, Ravn Air Group: Book cheap & budget flights from Europe’s largest regional airline carrier.
Adam Durant
Founder & CEO of SATAVIA
Adam Durant is CEO and Founder of Satavia. Prior to founding SATAVIA, Dr. Durant worked as a professional scientist and held posts at the University of Cambridge and Norwegian Institute for Air Research. Dr. Durant has grown Satavia to achieve global recognition in the Tällt Ventures Disrupt 100 list in 2017 and was selected to participate in the 2017 SVC2UK CEO Summit held at Buckingham Palace. In addition, he has taken SATAVIA to the finals of Pitch@Palace 6.0; Mass Challenge 2016; and Copernicus Masters 2016. He has also won over £1.5m grant funding since 2015 from Innovate UK, Aerospace Technology Institute, and the European Space Agency for Satavia.
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About SATAVIA: SATAVIA simplifies decision-making for smarter, greener aviation
Mike Gascoyne
Founder & CEO of MGI Engineering
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About MGI Engineering: MGI Engineering provides technology and engineering solutions on improving various kinds of transportation.
Arnaud Didey
Founder & CEO of Neoptera Aero
Arnaud Dide is the Founder and CEO at Neoptera Aero.
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About Didey Consulting Ltd, Neoptera Aero: Neoptera Aero is developing a patented winged eVTOL aircraft aimed at Public Services, Military Applications and Future Urban Air Mobility
Patrick Margetson Rushmore
CEO of Luxaviation
Patrick is Chief Executive Officer and a founding principal of Luxaviation UK, formerly London Executive Aviation. The company is one of the largest business jet operators in Europe with a wide ranging offering of fleets from transatlantic capability to small, executive four-passenger light jets. Luxaviation UK has aircraft bases in the main UK airports and also Athens, Helsinki, Moscow , South of France and Paris. Its client base covers a broad spectrum, including the arts, entertainment and media sectors, as well as government work. The company has won “Best European Charter Operator in Europe” 5 times in the last 7 years. Further information: www.luxaviationuk.com Luxaviation UK is part of the Luxaviation Group, the 2nd largest operator of corporate aircraft in the world. The Group manages 270 aircraft under the most stringent safety standards and Luxaviation’s commercial fleet is operated under the regulatory umbrella of 14 regional civil aviation issued air-operating certificates (AOCs). Luxaviation manages 25 world-class FBO facilities and 15 maintenance centres worldwide, certified to work on most business jets. Luxaviation currently employs over 1,700 staff worldwide. Patrick co-founded Luxaviation UK in 1996 with George Galanopoulos. They initially operated from a post-war hut in Stapleford with one pilot (George) and one propeller-powered aircraft. Patrick joined the aviation industry following a successful financial career in London during the 1980s and early 1990s.
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About Luxaviation: Luxaviation is setting new benchmarks for service across all customer groups jet owners, charter passengers and air charter brokers.
Philip Callow
CEO of OAG
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About OAG: OAG is a leading global travel data provider with the world’s largest network of flight information data.
Daniel Coleman
Founder and CEO of FTE Innovation & Startup Hub
Daniel Coleman is the founder and CEO at Future Travel Experience.
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About FTE Innovation & Startup Hub: FTE Innovation & Startup Hub is an air transport innovation network that connects corporate innovators with air transport specific startups.
Mark Briffa
CEO of Air Partner
Mark started his career with Air Partner as a Commercial Jets broker in 1996 and joined the Board in 2006 as Chief Operating Officer, becoming Chief Executive Officer in April 2010. He has direct experience of air charter broking and wide knowledge of the private aviation sector worldwide, built up over more than 30 years’ experience in the industry.
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About Air Partner: Air Partner is an aviation services group that focuses on aircraft transportation, aviation safety, and security solutions.
