AeroVanti Club, a high-growth US startup that's transforming the private aviation industry through its unique and competitive membership model, has named Dr. Scott Hopes as its new chief executive officer. As CEO, Hopes will use his senior leadership experience to drive the direction of the company, focusing on sustainable membership growth, fleet expansion and delivering an exceptional member experience.

Hopes, who most recently served as county administrator at Manatee County, Florida, has extensive executive leadership in the aviation, aerospace, healthcare, IT, education and government sectors. He founded HMD Airways, based in Miami, Florida, in 2010, which he successfully ran and sold to International Flight Services in 2013. A pilot since 1989 with more than 3,500 hours as a pilot in command, Hopes holds an FAA Airline Transport Pilot certificate with Citation and Hawker jet type ratings.

Hopes succeeds Patrick Britton-Harr, who founded AeroVanti in 2021 to disrupt the $25-billion-a-year private aviation industry. Britton-Harr will remain at AeroVanti as founder and chairman, where he will oversee business development and strategic partnerships.

“I'm honoured to take over as CEO of this innovative organisation,” says AeroVanti CEO Dr. Scott Hopes. “AeroVanti was founded on the idea that a remarkable private aviation experience should be accessible and approachable. I look forward to continuing Patrick's vision of marrying luxury, convenience and value in private aviation, while also upgrading the member experience and continuing the incredible growth it has already experienced.”

Since launching in July 2021, AeroVanti has experienced 400 percent growth, led by multiple M&A events to support expansion, two historic fundraising rounds of more than $100 million and exclusive partnerships with the University of Maryland, University of Central Florida, the World Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Chicago Cubs, Spire Motorsports and US Sailing. AeroVanti was named a 2023 “startup to watch” by both the Baltimore Business Journal and the Tampa Bay Business Journal. In addition to adding to its fleet, AeroVanti is expanding its team and offering additional flights, including longer-range flights and increased passenger capacity, to better serve its members.

“Dr. Hopes' experience, strategic direction and steady leadership have been valued assets at every organisation with which he's been associated, including as a healthcare executive, a county administrator overseeing a multi-billion-dollar budget and even as a private airline founder who scaled and sold a successful private airline,” notes Patrick Britton-Harr, founder and chairman of AeroVanti. “AeroVanti is poised for phenomenal growth, and Dr. Hopes is an excellent leader to have at the helm.”