AVMIN's high-flying journey from mining charters to rockstar tours

It might seem like an unexpected mix, but for O’Brien and the AVMIN team, moving rockstars and resources has become second nature.

"Whether it's someone needing a short helicopter ride or high-volume flights for a mining and construction company, our focus has always been to know our customer's business backwards and anticipate what they want before they do," he said.

AVMIN is all about charter flights, whether it’s fly-in fly-out projects on small turboprops or moving crews on full-size Boeing 737s.

But that’s not all. They’re also on the front lines of aviation support, handling medevacs and emergency evacuations such as the 2015 Nepal earthquake rescue efforts.

And when it comes to booking charters? AVMIN’s game-changing Jetbidders program has shaken up the industry, making the process faster, smarter, and more transparent. Our team at Corporate Traveller swear by it.

O'Brien explained, "The Jetbidders tool enables our customers and partner travel managers to submit charter requests and receive a price from aircraft owners within 12 minutes.

"Customers can see live bids coming in and click on the operator to view aircraft details, pilot hours and relevant safety insurances and certificates.

"It's enabled customers to pick up some great deals.  An empty aircraft could be going the way they want and Jetbidders enables them to capitalise straight away."  

It's been a meteoric rise for O'Brien and the company he started in 2011.

“After working for several airlines, I decided to venture out on my own and streamline the process of how individuals, groups and businesses could secure safe, efficient and value-for-money charter aircraft solutions," he said.

“So with just a few thousand in savings, I registered AVMIN - from AViation and MINing - and had a go.”

AVMIN’s growth has been nothing short of sky-high. In year one, they pulled in $180,000. By year two? $1.1 million. And by year three, they’d skyrocketed to $13 million.

That kind of success didn’t go unnoticed, Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) came on board, snapping up a 51% stake in the business. Now, AVMIN is on track to hit between $35 million and $40 million.

For founder Paul O’Brien, the secret has been staying flexible and elevating AVMIN’s concierge service. When you’re in the business of chartering everything from mining crews to music legends, service is everything.

“Everyone hates a delay, but it happens in aviation due to the critical safety procedures in our industry. We've found it's how you react to a delay that's important, so we ensure there's always a clear plan in place if a disruption occurs," he said.

"Miners are very punctual but there's more variables to consider with bands or movie stars such as Chris Hemsworth and his young family. They rarely work an eight-hour shift and finish at 5 pm."   

AVMIN started with helicopters and turboprops, but these days, it’s flying with the big players.

Its team of operational personnel ensure checks are always met around aircraft insurances and relevant safety certificates. To go the extra mile, they provide additional insurance coverage for customers, going above and beyond what aircraft operators offer.

AVMIN's next steps are to take on even bigger ventures. “We planned to continue growing in other parts of the world, with offices opening in the USA and Europe,” O'Brien said.

“What I was especially excited about was a return Sydney to Berlin A380 charter. A company first.”

Need to move a big crew or get to a hard-to-reach spot? A charter flight can save you time, money, and a whole lot of hassle. Chat with one of our experts today, they’ll make it a breeze.

About Flight Centre Travel Group

The Flight Centre Travel Group is one of the world’s largest travel retailers and corporate travel managers. The company, which is headquartered in Brisbane, Australia, has company-owned leisure and corporate travel business in dozens of countries, spanning Australia, New Zealand, the Americas, Europe, the United Kingdom, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, and Asia. ASX listed Flight Centre Travel Group (FLT) also operates the global FCM corporate travel management network, which extends to more than 100 countries through company-owned businesses and independent licensees, along with Corporate Traveller, the flagship business specific to the small-to-medium-sized enterprise sector. For more information, visit fctgl.com.