Two years after the launch of its software platform connecting operators with aircrew for freelance and contract flights, Hullo Aircrew can report a 200 per cent growth in its membership. It holds 3,000 candidates on its database and recently moved into offering permanent air crew positions in response to demand.

Since February, Edward Cousins has been back on the team as director of business operations, overseeing the widening of its reach throughout the EMEA region. He has now brought in Andrea Jilkova as business development manager, a seasoned professional within the business aviation industry and already proving a valuable member of the team exploring new markets.

Cousins is also passionate about pro-actively addressing the industry's reported pilot shortage. “We are looking to approach local authorities to encourage standardisation on training across the industry, using Hullo Aircrew's skillset in building a network to help build a consortium of operator training agreements,” he comments. He believes this would play a part in alleviating the pressure on commercially competitive flight operations, and also help to drive down costs.

He notes that the variation in standards from country to country is vast; even across the UK it leads to widespread differences in operational procedures. Hullo Aircrew is already in dialogue with the BBGA, which has its own flight training working group, and BACA.

Hullo Aircrew is a crew-sourcing solution company based at London Oxford airport. Launched in 2017, it is run by CEO Keiron Blay and COO Steve Payne, both former Hangar8 and Gama Aviation executives. The business centres on a platform that aims to connect pilots and flight attendants with operators through an app, as well as offering a whole range of additional member services. It supports nearly 50 business aviation operators, a growing number of flight support companies, maintenance organisations, operator owners and charter brokers. Membership covers 130 aircraft types from the Mustang to BBJ and its reach extends to 190 airports globally.