Global Traveler: What led you to found Silverjet?

Lawrence Hunt: I’ve been involved with start-up businesses since 1984, and have held a number of posts at various global companies. I founded Rapid Travel Solutions Limited, and I am a non-executive director at Low Cost Travel Group and at Global Travel Markets Limited.

My inspiration for Silverjet came from running businesses where vast sums of money were spent on employee business-class airfares. I wanted to create an airline that offered a significantly improved customer experience at radically lower fares. I felt that the traditional model of business passengers paying higher rates in order to subsidize the cheaper economy seats was nonsensical, and that a business-class-only service, based on the single-carriage model of low-cost carriers, was a viable business idea. Through a well-thought-out strategy and a strong team of people to support and believe in this idea, Silverjet was able to launch in just eight months following its successful IPO on the London Stock Market.

GT: How do Silverjet’s seats and services compare to other single-class airlines that have recently started up between London and New York?

LH: Silverjet’s service is truly unique in that we are able to offer an end-to-end experience that delivers a quality product at an incomparable value. We’ve strived to create a private-jet-like experience for our passengers, with amenities such as our private lounge and terminal facilities, the simple luxury of arriving as few as 30 minutes prior to departure, dedicated security lines, 6-foot-3-inch flat beds, gourmet meal service with menus designed by critically acclaimed London restaurant Le Caprice, a women’s-only restroom onboard, and more. Silverjet strives to take the hassle out of air travel to make our customers’ experience effortless, at a price that is around one-fourth the price of a business-class ticket on a legacy carrier and a significantly better value than other business-class-only airlines.

GT: Silverjet, in operation for just eight months, has already announced a new service to Dubai. Is the level of business about where you expected to be at this time?

LH: Before Silverjet’s first flight even took to the air, we worked hard at fine-tuning our business model to create a long-haul premium travel experience at a low cost, relatively speaking. We have seen consistent month-to-month growth in our load factors, and we continue to see strong forward bookings at increasing yields.

Our plan at launch was to have three aircraft in service in the first year, and we are very proud to achieve that target. We have two more aircraft set for delivery in 2008, and expect to have 10 aircraft in operation by March 2010.

GT: What other new cities can we expect Silverjet to serve in the next year or two?

LH: There are over 30 long-haul global routes that are viable options from our hub in London. Johannesburg, Mumbai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami are a few of the destinations we are considering. However, as we evaluate new destinations we want to be sure that our customer experience is consistent for all routes we fly, offering private lounge/terminal amenities, 30-minute check-in ability, enhanced security experience and every other feature that makes Silverjet stand apart from the rest.