Chapman Freeborn Executive Warns Price Pressure Is Testing Private Jet Brokers' Expertise and Accountability

Private aviation brokers face growing pressure to compete on price as digital tools improve access to aircraft availability and charter rates, industry leaders said at Corporate Jet Investor Dubai 2026. Greater price transparency and more cost-conscious customers are challenging traditional brokerage models, particularly in the Middle East, where competition can put significant pressure on margins.

Steffen Fries, special advisor to the group CEO at Chapman Freeborn, said the focus on price can overshadow the operational and regulatory requirements of a successful charter. "In many markets, someone can begin selling a USD 100,000 flight without first demonstrating that they understand the operational and regulatory requirements behind it," he said, adding that the issue is not a brokerage's size or age but whether it has the expertise and resources to fulfil its commitments. Fries said Middle East customers may negotiate over the final $500 or $1,000 of a quotation without fully understanding the differences between competing offers. Aircraft availability and an attractive price do not guarantee that an itinerary can be completed: permits, airport operating hours, customs availability, crew duty limits, runway conditions and fuel requirements can all affect feasibility, and unrealistic promises can damage the reputations of both brokers and operators when a flight cannot proceed.

Price-driven competition can also increase exposure to grey-market charter operations, in which privately operated aircraft are offered for commercial passenger transport without the required authorisation. Such aircraft may look identical to compliant charter aircraft, so passengers cannot reliably identify them by visual inspection, and Fries said brokers have a responsibility to verify aircraft and operators rather than recommending an option simply because it is cheaper. He argued that improving accountability does not necessarily require additional government regulation: established brokers, operators and industry organisations could instead develop common professional standards covering operational expertise, operator due diligence, insurance verification, contractual transparency and customer care. "This is not about protecting larger brokers from competition," he said.

Fries expects artificial intelligence to intensify competition by making charter pricing and aircraft availability easier to compare. "If the broker's only role is to find an aircraft and a price, technology may eventually make that role obsolete," he said. Complex charters, however, require brokers to coordinate permits, airport requirements, customs procedures, crew considerations, ground transportation and contingency planning, and AI could help identify operational bottlenecks earlier, including constraints on fuel services, customs availability and airport capacity. Chapman Freeborn, which provides private passenger and cargo charter services and is part of Avia Solutions Group, sees the future of brokerage as depending on combining technology with experienced human oversight.