Kirkhope Aviation

What Kirkhope Aviation does

Kirkhope Aviation is an Australian private aircraft charter and air touring company founded in 1974 by Tony Kirkhope and headquartered at Moorabbin Airport, Victoria. Operating under a CASA Air Operators Certificate, the company runs a four-aircraft fleet comprising a Beechcraft King Air B200 (pressurised turbine, 9 passengers), Cessna Grand Caravan EX (single-engine turbine, 9 passengers), Piper Chieftain (twin piston, 8 passengers), and Piper Navajo (twin piston, 6 passengers). Across 40+ years the business has logged 3.5 million+ kilometres flown and 2,000+ departures, and now operates Australia's largest air tour business with 100+ annual departures through its Australian Air Safaris division.

The company generates revenue across three primary streams: (1) on-demand private charter flights booked via phone or website and priced per mission (e.g., Sydney from A$6,410, Lord Howe Island from A$22,990, Mount Hotham day return A$5,500); (2) all-inclusive packaged air tours sold through the Australian Air Safaris brand with set departure dates from Melbourne, Sydney, and Gold Coast, capped at 10 passengers; and (3) specialist pilot training under a CASR 141 Flight Training Certificate covering Cessna 208, Piper PA31, and Beechcraft B200 type ratings, plus third-party hire of a CKAS MS3 full motion simulator. It also pursues vertical-specific charters including golf (Barnbougle, Cape Wickham), ski (Mount Hotham), corporate/VIP, pet-friendly, and government contracts via the National Aerial Firefighting Centre.

The competitive position rests on a regulatory and talent moat: CASA certifications, a formal Safety Management System and Training and Checking Program, combined pilot experience exceeding 40,000 hours, and access to 5,000+ remote Australian airstrips. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via phone (1300 206 130), website booking, and the Rezdy platform, supported by organic social media and TripAdvisor reputation. The company is privately held by founder Tony Kirkhope with no external funding and a stated headcount of 1-10 employees.

Name

Kirkhope Aviation

Legal name

Kirkhope Aviation Pty Ltd

Website

https://kirkhopeaviation.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kirkhope Aviation is an Australian private aircraft charter and air tour operator founded in 1974, running a four-aircraft fleet from Moorabbin Airport for corporate, tourism, government, and pilot training customers across Australia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Air Charter Services

NAICS

Nonscheduled Chartered Passenger Air Transportation (481211), Other Nonscheduled Air Transportation (481219)

SIC

Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522)

akta.pro primary industry

Group & ACMI Charter Airlines (Ad-hoc/Wet Lease) (TLAFABAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Business Jet Charter (On-Demand) (THABAFAA)

Keywords

• Private air charter
• Air safari tours
• Corporate aviation services
• Pilot training services
• Outback aviation tours

Headquarters

HQ city

Vic

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Private Air Charter Services: On-demand private aircraft charter throughout Australia. Customers book flights to various destinations using the company's fleet. Pricing varies by destination (e.g., Sydney from $6,410, King Island from $3,200, Mount Hotham day return $5,500, Lord Howe Island from $22,990).
2. Packaged Air Tours (Australian Air Safaris): All-inclusive air tours operating on set departure dates from Melbourne, Sydney, and Gold Coast. Small group tours (maximum 10 passengers), all-inclusive pricing. Company is the largest air tour operator in Australia with 100+ departures annually.
3. Specialist Pilot Training: Flight training services under CASR 141 Flight Training Certificate. Training for Cessna 208, Piper PA31, and Beechcraft B200 aircraft types. Includes ground school, simulator training, and flight reviews.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Kirkhope Aviation is an Australian private aircraft charter company operating under a CASA Air Operators Certificate, providing on-demand charter flights throughout Australia using a four-aircraft fleet (Beechcraft King Air B200, Cessna Grand Caravan EX, Piper Chieftain, and Piper Navajo). The company operates Australian Air Safaris as its all-inclusive air touring division, running packaged multi-day outback tours from Melbourne, Sydney, and the Gold Coast. It also delivers CASA-certified specialist pilot training on Cessna 208, Piper PA31, and Beechcraft B200 types, alongside CKAS MS3 simulator hire.

Product overview

Kirkhope Aviation is an Australian private aircraft charter company operating under an Air Operators Certificate issued by CASA. The company offers a unified service portfolio centered on private air charters throughout Australia, supported by its subsidiary Australian Air Safaris for air touring operations. The core fleet consists of four aircraft models: the Beechcraft King Air B200 (corporate flagship), Cessna Grand Caravan EX (touring), Piper Chieftain (regional charter), and Piper Navajo (regional charter). The company also operates a specialist training division providing initial and recurrent training for Cessna 208, Piper PA31, and Beechcraft B200 aircraft types, alongside a CKAS MS3 full motion flight simulator. Services are offered from private lounges at Moorabbin and Essendon airports in Melbourne, with over 40 years of operating experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Private Air Charters Private aircraft charter flights throughout Australia using a four-aircraft fleet (Beechcraft King Air B200, Cessna Grand Caravan EX, Piper Chieftain, Piper Navajo) departing from Moorabbin or Essendon airports, providing flexible, comfortable travel to destinations inaccessible to commercial airlines.
• Business and Corporate Charters Specialist private air charter for business professionals, executives, celebrities, VIPs, government ministers, MPs, and corporate groups, with tailored flight options, flexible scheduling, and corporate club seating configured for in-flight productivity.
• Australian Air Safaris Tours All-inclusive packaged air tours of Australia with maximum 10 passengers, departing on set dates from Melbourne, Sydney, and Gold Coast, covering flights, accommodation, meals, and guided touring to outback and remote destinations. Also offers customised itineraries on request.
• Golf Charters Day-return charter flights to world-renowned Australian golf courses including Barnbougle Dunes, Barnbougle Lost Farm, Cape Wickham (King Island), and Ocean Dunes, with direct airstrip access and equipment-friendly baggage allowances (e.g., Barnbougle from $4,850, Cape Wickham from $3,200).
• Mount Hotham Ski Charters Day-return ski charters from Moorabbin Airport to Mount Hotham, approximately a 40-minute flight, providing direct access to the ski fields and avoiding the 5-hour drive from Melbourne ($5,500 including GST).
• Pet Air Charters Private charter flights allowing dogs, cats, and other animals to travel in the aircraft cabin with their owners rather than in cargo holds, supporting interstate pet relocations and biosecurity-compliant travel.
• Specialist Pilot Training (Cessna 208, Piper PA31, Beechcraft B200) CASA CASR 141-certified initial type training covering Cessna 208 (5 days: 2 days ground school plus 3 flights), Piper PA31 (4 days to meet CASR 61.385 General Competency requirements), and Beechcraft B200 (two weeks including Gas Turbine Engine and Pressurization endorsements, with simulator and aircraft sessions).
• CKAS MS3 Flight Simulator Hire Category B Synthetic Trainer full motion simulator configurable as a Beechcraft B58 Baron or B350 King Air, available for hire by individual pilots or organisations for training and Instrument Proficiency Checks under CASA Instrument of Approval KIRKHOPE AVIATION CASA.FSTD.0014.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40,000+ combined pilot flying hours
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Blue Demon AviationOthersMaintenance partner provider working with Kirkhope Aviation to maintain aircraft to the highest standard. All aircraft undergo routine periodic inspections through this partnership.
• Ansett Aviation TrainingTechnology or Integration
• CKAS (Certified江 Airlinesimulator)Technology or Integration
• World Travel & Tourism CouncilOthers
• National Aerial Firefighting Centre (NAFC)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• VistaJet: Global private aviation company offering on-demand business jet charter worldwide with strong presence in Asia-Pacific. Comparable as a premium private charter operator targeting similar corporate, VIP, and celebrity customer segments, though at significantly larger scale and global footprint.
• NetJets: Largest global fractional private jet ownership and charter company with Asia-Pacific operations. Comparable as a premium private aviation provider targeting the same corporate executive and high-net-worth customer base.
• Cobham Aviation Services: Large Australian aviation services provider with government and charter operations, including historical contracts supporting emergency services. Comparable as a diversified Australian aviation operator with overlapping government, charter, and specialty mission work.
• Wheels Up: US-headquartered private aviation company offering on-demand charter and membership-based private flight services. Comparable business model in on-demand premium charter serving corporate and leisure travellers.
• Rex Airlines (Regional Express): Major Australian regional carrier operating scheduled turboprop services nationwide with charter capability. Comparable as a much larger Australian regional aviation player operating in the same geographies with overlapping corporate and tourism customer base.

Direct peers

• Sharp Airlines: Regional Australian airline operating scheduled and charter passenger services across Victoria, Tasmania, and NSW with similar turboprop fleet. Comparable as a regional Australian operator with charter capability serving similar corporate and tourism markets.
• Airly Aviation: Australian private charter and air tour operator offering similar boutique aerial experiences over Australian destinations. Directly comparable as a competitor in the premium Australian air tour and private charter category.
• King Island Airlines: Small Australian regional operator running charter and scheduled passenger services to King Island, directly overlapping with Kirkhope's King Island charter route ($3,200 day return). Highly comparable in size, fleet profile, and Australian niche regional charter market.

Regional players

• FlyPelican: Regional Australian airline operating between Newcastle, Sydney, and regional destinations. Comparable as a small regional operator serving NSW tourism and corporate markets with turboprop fleet.
• Adelaide Air Charter: South Australian charter operator serving tourism, corporate, and government clients with similar small-fleet private aviation model. Comparable in scale and service mix as an Australian boutique charter operator.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kirkhopeaviationaircharter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kirkhope-aviation
• Instagraminstagram.com/kirkhopeaviation
• Xx.com/kirkhopeaviatio

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kirkhope Aviation