What was your career path to your current role?
I took an unusual route into what I am doing today. In 1998 I was part of a group building up a tour operating company offering ski holidays for Danish people in the European Alps and we would charter aircrafts. This meant I was in touch with people in the aviation industry.
This led me to my first job in aviation in 2005. I was selling charter flights and ended up as the general manger for the business jet operator JoinJet in Denmark. In that role I also did aircraft transactions for our clients and got their aircrafts into management.
In 2020 it was time to realize my dream. I bought into the consultancy firm Hald&Lie and created a sister company called Hald&Lie Aviation. We offer aircraft sales and acquisitions, aircraft charter and advisory within the commercial part of aviation and are represented with offices in UK and Denmark.
What are the best and less favorable elements of your job?
Best part of the job is when we succeed in finding the best aircraft solution for a client. The moment where you close the deal, and the client gets his new aircraft is always special. Another great part is when you succeed in delivering the best charter solution to a client. For example, during the UEFA European Championship we had to get teams around Germany with almost no capacity available. But most important is that in this job we meet a lot of very inspiring people from all over the world.
A downside of this job is that an acquisition or sale can take a long time, and you have to be patient to succeed. Our industry is very much affected by the economy on both local and globally level.
How do you manage to stand out from your competitors?
Hald&Lie Aviation is entirely independent and not linked to any specific operators, aircraft manufacturers or OEMs. We operate through an extensive and well-established worldwide network and can source or place assets discreetly and confidentially. We are a small business and offer an entirely personalised service and have long-term relationships with our clients.
What is the most significant trend currently affecting the business aviation sector?
We are now more focused on the sustainable angle of business aviation. For example, we have several clients here in Scandinavia who have changed the search from a jet to a Turboprop as they burn less fuel.
We have many clients that budget with the use of SAF in the operation of their jet and prefer to lower the amount of charter hours to lower their CO2-emission linked to the aircraft.
What does the future hold for Hald&Lie?
Hald&Lie has implemented a successful growth strategy and will continue to diversify. In addition to the private aviation sector, we are also actively developing the commercial side of the business with airlines and other entities.
This includes airframe, engine and major component trading services as well as brokerage for both passenger and freight lease and charter.
