Business jet aggregation and seat-trading website Victor has expanded its business worldwide, increasing the number of routes covered from 440,000 to 400 million potential combinations.
The soft-launch of the global offering comes on 15 October, a little over a year since the company unveiled its service in the European market.
Clive Jackson, Victor founder and chief executive, says customer requests have driven the expansion. "The time is absolutely right to launch the service globally, all the signs are telling us to do it.
"Members and users have been saying they love the [European] service, but want to know when we will be able to offer them destinations further afield. Although it was always in the game plan to build the business globally, this decision is very much led by consumer demand."
Since its European launch in August 2011, UK-based Victor has expanded rapidly and can offer a notional fleet of 300 aircraft, including airliner-derived types, made available through its partner operators.
The global expansion has necessitated recruiting outside of its European heartland and it has managed to sign up companies such as Qatar-based Rizon Jet, Beijing firm Deer Jet - part of the Hainan Airlines Group - and Pegasus Elite Aviation in the USA.
In future Jackson may relinquish some control over markets outside Europe by offering Victor franchises in 10 geographies. It was either that, he says, "or clone myself 10 times".
The company will also launch a second round of capital raising in the second quarter of 2013, seeking £10 million ($16.1 million) to fund the global push.
It closed a previous fundraising effort in early 2012, netting £1.5 million through a private share placement.
Jackson says he was "encouraged" by Victor's first year of trading. He adds: "I know that Victor will make it, and the only question in my mind is - provided I don't make too many mistakes - just how big can it be on a global scale?"
Source: Flight International
