Business Spotlight - Digital Flight
Listen in to an interview with Craig Skilton, CEO and Founder of Digital Flight, conducted by Will Dent of AeroParts Now.
Will: I’m here with Craig Skilton with Digital Flight. Craig, tell us, why did you start Digital Flight?
Craig: Hey Will. So Digital Flight was created when I was working at AJW Group. So most of my career I spent there parts trading. We knew we wanted to do a period of digital transformation. We had an idea of exactly what we wanted to do. But we were really struggling to find the solutions out there to enable us. We embarked on a few of these projects, and most of them we then had to figure it out ourselves. Got to the end of many of these projects, and found out that actually there was software out there and solutions out there that, had we known that at the start, would have made the whole journey so much easier.
The thought in my head was, “there’s gotta be other people going through this exact same process,” without the help and support. So I wanted to basically just build something where people could go to find exactly what they needed.
Will: Tell me a little bit about why you’re the right person to provide a service like this.
Craig: Everyone now understands that technology is this enabler, for recovery and for doing things more efficiently. But I know that many other people are going to be in my exact same shoes 18 months ago, trying to transform and not really knowing where to turn. What I do know and have a passion for is helping others in that same position as me, trying to improve their business. I guess if that’s as good a reason as any, that would be why.
Will: I agree, I think you’re a great person for this role, and what you’re providing. So what has been the response so far from your solution providers?
Craig: So the response and the support of them has been fantastic throughout. I guess particularly with startups, what we’re finding is the more established technology companies already have a nice established customer base, but the startups don’t have that. They’re tight on resources, they’re trying to get their products off the ground. So actually being able to list their service on Digital Flight and propel them in the early stages of their roadmap has been really beneficial.
Will: Speaking of supporters, how have they helped you along the way?
Craig: There was this period of, “OK I’m going to put this thing out there,” and I’ve really got no idea how it’s going to go. The kind words, the appreciation of what we’re doing, the support—every one of those messages of positivity kind of kept me going and reassured me that I’m on the right path with this thing.
Will: Why should users come to Digital Flight?
Craig: If anyone is finding themselves in that situation where they know they’re struggling—they might be struggling with manpower, they might be struggling to reduce cost in their operation, and they kind of have the notion of digital being the solution for them but they don’t know what the path ahead looks like. Because that’s where I found myself. We knew that digital was the answer, but how to get there, we didn’t really know.
So whether it be a parts trader, whether it be an airline, an MRO, a leasing company—from all walks of aviation I think that’s one thing I want to make clear. We’re not targeting just airlines and helping airlines out, we’re helping traders out, we’re helping all sectors of the industry.
Will: I would agree, Craig, it does reach more than just airlines, it hits business aircraft and that industry as well. I think it’s a great service. How does it feel being able to connect those seeking a solution to the providers that are listed on Digital Flight?
Craig: We’re seeing more and more of those seeking a solution find the right solution for that. But not only that—I mentioned the startups—we’ve helped startups find investors, we’ve helped other providers connect with providers and now they’re integrated. So it’s more than just a solution-finding engine. We’re actually connecting other aspects and helping everyone thrive. So the whole message has been really positive.
Will: It’s exciting to see the growth of Digital Flight in the short period of time that you’ve been up there, and the diversity of solution providers. So Craig, what’s in store for Digital Flight in the future? Anything you can share on the roadmap?
Craig: We’ve done a successful pilot now, and we’ll be launching reviews probably next month hopefully if everything goes to plan. But the idea is now that people can leave reviews, five star, like you see on G2 and then you start to build up a bit of a reputation behind “OK, how useful is that solution,” and you get some user reviews, so it’s not just shopping around, seeing what’s out there, it’s actually being able to see “OK these ones are popular,” and “these ones are working for this reason.” So reviews is the big one—that’s what’s coming next.”
Will: Beyond Digital Flight, as you look at the industry, what do you see as far as the future of digital solutions in aerospace and aviation?
Craig: I’m learning a lot about all the different technology out there. There’s so many other things emerging. There’s blockchain, artificial intelligence, machine learning. I guess it goes back to that thing, we know that the future is there, but we also know the industry is almost behind others in terms of its progress. I just really want to help try and bring the industry along a bit.
Will: As a solution provider, how do I get onto DigitalFlight.aero?
Craig: On our homepage, on Digital Flight, you’ll see straightaway the other solution providers listed there. There’s plenty of areas to sign up and join. We just need to catch some basic information to start with and get the profile started.
Learn More About Digital Flight
Digital Flight showcases the very best technology from across the industry, actively connecting those seeking a solution with over 100 providers of them. Customers are empowered to explore all the options available and find the right solution for them.
