The Tuvoli air charter booking and payment platform, which launched at the NBAA Convention in Las Vegas this past October, is reporting strong growth with over 90 companies now on board. Companies on the platform include both brokers and operators with more than 600 aircraft now active.

Tuvoli is an open platform, meaning both brokers and operators are welcome to transact on the platform and do not need to have any particular industry affiliation to do so. The platform has no upfront costs or monthly subscription fees, instead it charges a nominal transaction fee to the broker and operator when the two parties confirm a trip using Tuvoli's tools. Contracts are completed via DocuSign and payment is made through Tuvoli's proprietary payment technology.

Tuvoli has made its native mobile app a cornerstone of its product offering.

“Business in the air charter industry doesn't stop when you get up from your desk,” says president/CIO Greg Johnson. “People need to be able to search for available aircraft, respond to a request for quote, confirm a trip or make payment from anywhere at any time. The Tuvoli mobile app makes that easy.”

Companies joining the platform establish FDIC insured bank accounts through Tuvoli's global banking partnership. Through these accounts, trips can be paid for instantly between companies 24/7/365. This is a significant improvement compared with paying for a trip with a wire transfer, which is only possible 40 hours/week, an ACH transaction, which can be pulled back for up to six months, or a credit card, with fees averaging 3 per cent or more.

Tuvoli displays over 600 aircraft on its platform from the operators that have activated their accounts to date. In addition, the Tuvoli platform lists all aircraft that are active on a Part 135 certificate with the FAA, using industry data to provide ball-park pricing for aircraft that have not yet joined the platform. Listing all aircraft provides buyers with a complete picture of the US air charter fleet. With no cost until trips are booked, operators have every reason to take advantage of the lead generation and incremental revenue opportunities that Tuvoli's platform provides.

The Tuvoli platform introduces the new concept of a guaranteed payment to the air charter industry. A guaranteed payment is one where the buyer authorises the movement of funds into a trust account once an operator has been selected and terms have been confirmed. The (operator) seller can then see that the funds are guaranteed for the trip. Once the trip is complete the buyer releases the funds and the operator is paid in a matter of minutes.

Powered by direct real-time data feeds from the FAA, Tuvoli has integrated map-based flight tracking into its product core. Dozens of aircraft can be tracked simultaneously from the Tuvoli command centre homepage. Operator aircraft are added to the tracking list automatically when aircraft are added to the operator's fleet inside of Tuvoli. Brokers and operators can add additional aircraft easily from the command centre homepage.