Andy Hakes has heard many times that AirExpert offers a sophisticated, effective solution. But until recently, the commercial airline industry didn’t have much need for innovation.
With the pandemic’s long overhand on the travel and tourism industry, suddenly the conversations have a different tenor.
“Whenever everyone is doing well, there is very little impetus to change things,” Hakes said. “Now they’re backed into a corner where everyone has to focus on efficiency.”
AireXpert is a software platform that manages the complex series of maintenance tasks that are required before commercial planes can take flight.
A veteran of the aircraft industry, Hakes founded a separate company that provided maintenance services for all aircraft flying into and out of the Buffalo Niagara International Airport. He sold that company to focus specifically on AireXpert.
Hakes participated earlier this year in the UTI Boeing Accelerator, a three-month program backed by big names in aerospace. He said AireXpert's sales pipeline has accelerated significantly over the course of this year as potential customers show a new receptiveness toward the idea of leveraging technology to become more efficient.
The key now is turning major airlines into full-fledged clients.
“There’s no longer a question of whether there’s a market for AireXpert,” he said. “The question is, ‘How do we equip this with the right sources to create a rocket to the moon.'”
