Luxury Aviation

Privately owned and chartered aircraft arrive to Davos symbolizing a thriving sector

Richard Gaona, Executive Chairman & CEO, Comlux

With Richard Gaona at the helm, Comlux has transformed as a Swiss-based service provider in the fields of business aviation, transaction and completion services, into a diversified global operation continuing to rapidly expand. Gaona is committed to continuously setting new standards in the field and believes, “Nothing is impossible with time and adequate resources.” 

Comlux’s strong ties with the USA, and having Indianapolis as their base for their purpose-built facility handling all completion services and cabin interiors, is one of the chief ingredients to the company’s success. Gaona unquestionably states, “The quality and innovative engineering in the USA brings a completely new dimension to the aircraft we work on for our VIP clients. They are engineering luxury and innovation that you don’t find elsewhere. Our engineers in the USA come from top-notch universities. It is an area with a tank of potential, young people who are an asset to us and make for an excellent team. North America is the land of business aviation expertise.” 

Comlux’s clients seeking private aviation needs, both for personal and professional management, trust the company to assist in the entire process from aircraft sales and acquisitions to operations, charter management, cabin interiors, and overall maintenance through the years. Their aircraft fleet utilizes cutting-edge technology and seamlessly incorporates luxury at every corner. Comlux Creatives integrate stunning interiors and cabin design, while Comlux Completion creates customized solutions for the ultimate comfort and luxury. It is one of the only completion centers in the world that can integrate all interiors in-house. Ensuring comfort for the duration of the flight, Comlux has been adding humidity services to all long-haul flights for over ten years. Furthermore, Comlux has innovative intellectual property regarding noise level reduction. They reduce the noise without substantially increasing the weight of each aircraft, which in turn allows for a greater flying range. Their communication technology is also far above the rest, with their USA based engineers continuing to work on the capacity of high-speed internet services on long-haul flights, already reaching over 40 individuals using high-speed streaming services at once, such as video streaming and live video conferencing in-flight.

Always bearing in mind space and comfort, Comlux is the largest Airbus VIP operator worldwide.  The company also has a large presence in the market working on Airbus Corporate Jets, Boeing Business Jets and Bombardier Business Aircraft. Bombardier Global and Gulfstream aircraft, in particular, allow their clients to reach their destinations at record speed. 

Part of the company’s charm is the team’s commitment to deliver the best customer service imaginable. Gaona was eager to highlight, “Our teams are available 24/7 to make any and all necessary arrangements to make our clients fly in supreme comfort.” This elite customer service also takes place on their transactional side, as Comlux Transactions helps clients acquire new aircraft or sell existing ones. Gaona mentioned, “Our team helps our clients evaluate potential costs around the maintenance of aircraft and costs associated with cabin upgrades prior to having them invest in the aircraft. Comlux has one flat management fee, with total transparency for any potential added costs, which sets us apart as well.”

Gaona personally has already had a tremendously successful career, including being responsible for the sale of the first A380 VIP “Flying Palace” for the Prince of Saudi Arabia, launching the successful Airbus A318 Elite program, and now making Comlux evolve into a world leader. His passion has no bounds and his ambition has set a professional benchmark for Comlux to achieve robust growth, and be the number one provider in the USA in their field within the next five years. Gaona proudly stated, “We will continue to deliver world-class Swiss-made business aviation services at the highest standards of safety and quality in the industry. Some of our clients surely will be arriving to the World Economic Forum on aircraft we manage for them.” Comlux’s combination of Swiss business savvy with American engineering ingenuity has proved to be a winning combination. As Gaona believes, the sky’s the limit. 

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