A classic entrepreneurial spirit 

Perdriel knew from his youth he wanted to be an entrepreneur. He just didn’t know at first that his calling was aviation. His first venture was in the creation and marketing of new beverages, and he got to know customers by personally selling to them in sales outlets.  

In 2010, at age 26, he was recruited to help manage a struggling air ambulance firm, Air Albatros. There Perdriel learned the importance of being nimble and responsive. Air Albatros had a policy of being ready to launch anywhere within two hours of accepting a mission. Lives were on the line after all.   

Perdriel sought to incorporate that can-do spirit in a management/charter start up. He toured Europe meeting certification authorities. In Malta he found an authority committed to safety and with the collaborative spirit to help launch Skyfirst.   

In 2012 Skyfirst began operations with one Learjet 45, moving progressively to larger and more capable aircraft. Perdriel concluded early that the company would operate globally. He was selective, seeking out customers who also wanted global capability and were happier to see their airplanes used for fewer but longer-range, and more profitable, charters. 

Another takeaway from the air ambulance segment: teamwork. It’s literally critical for patients. An emphasis on teamwork carried over into the Skyfirst ethos. Perdriel recruits team players who he empowers to make independent decisions in furtherance of better serving the client. 

Perdriel is a second-generation entrepreneur. His father, Claude Perdriel, became well known in France for launching crusading media enterprises, including the esteemed Nouvel Observateur and Challenges as well as a range of industrial products.