Charlie Clifton
Chairman
With over 30 years of global experience in the low cost airline business there is very little that Charlie has not come across before. flypop is immensely fortunate that he is part of the team.
Hitesh Patel
Chief Operating Officer - AOC Accountable Manager
Hitesh is regarded as a visionary in large-scale start up efforts and a global leader within the aviation industry. A start-up specialist with a stellar record of administering P&L, driving Multi-Million Dollar budgets, and overseeing mergers and acquisitions.
A start-up specialist with a stellar record of administering P&L, driving Multi-Million Dollar budgets, and overseeing mergers and acquisitions. A critical thinker with vast expertise in operations management, financial planning, business development, fleet management, and sales/marketing. Founding Technical Director JetBlue Airways, COO Kingfisher Airways and CEO Veling Aviation(lessor).
Hitesh is a strategic and proactive leader with over 30 years of experience in building and directing globally renowned organizations through the implementation of self-derived strategies to ensure consistent growth and long-term fiscal success. Through a stellar record in the administration of P&L aspects, derivation and execution of Multi Million Dollar budgets, and oversight of mergers & acquisitions; Hitesh is regarded as a visionary in large-scale start up efforts and global leader within the aviation industry.
Hitesh started his career as an engineer with Continental Airlines, subsequently being the Director of Technical Operations at JetBlue Airways in New York at the inception of this now successful airline. In 2004, Hitesh was recruited to lead the operations and launch of Kingfisher Airlines in India as Executive Vice President. In 2013 Hitesh became Chief Executive Officer of Veling Aircraft Leasing in Mauritius where he played a pivotal role in the reinforcement of company architecture, the development and implementation of novel policies, and the mentorship of the Veling team in preparation for future expansion.
Hitesh Patel is the Founder / Principal of Blu3Aero consultancy; a highly experienced and proudly independent boutique aviation consulting firm. He brings deep domain expertise and hands-on collaboration to clients across commercial, financial and technical disciplines. His global footprint and relationship network span the aviation industry.
Hitesh is a graduate of Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.
Other members of the team
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(Nino) Navdip Singh Judge
Chief Executive and Founder
An Aeronautical Engineer with a diverse career path as British Army Officer, Bond trader/broker and Formula 1 Team Owner, Nino brings the vision, passion, leadership and management experience to the flypop team
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(Bobby) Balvinder Singh Bhakar
CTO and Founder
Bobby has a keen eye for new technology gaps and opportunities in the marketplace. He has vast experience in e-commerce specialising in pricing and trading platform systems as well as product development.
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Paul Roberts
Chief Financial Officer
Paul is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA) and has over 30 years experience working in the Aviation industry, holding various senior leadership positions in several airlines, including BA CityFlyer, XL Airways, Skywest Australia, BMI and Hans Airways.
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Adele Watson
Head of HR and Culture
Adele started working in the airline industry over 30 years ago as Cabin Crew for Ryanair, becoming supervisor for all Cabin Crew.
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Ian Smith
Technical Director - AOC Nominated Person Continuing Airworthiness
Ian brings a wealth of knowledge of airline operations, having worked for multiple airlines and aviation companies across low-cost, charter and scheduled brands
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Harun Cordan
Director of Flight Operations
Harun has over 30 years of global experience as an airline professional.
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Helen Cordan
Head of Onboard Services
Helen started working in aviation in 1995 for Ryanair as a cabin crew member. Promoted to Instructor and started interviewing and training new crews both in the classroom and on the aircraft.
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Chris Rourke
Chief Investment Officer
Chris has a wealth of experience in advising and fund raising for private and public companies
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Rebecca McKenzie
Head of Accounts
Rebecca is an experienced finance and travel industry professional, bringing with her over 20 years of knowledge. As Head of Accounts she is the main contact for anything finance related.
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Natalie Morris
Digital Marketing and Communications Director
With a keen eye for audience engagement, Natalie's communications resonate deeply, fostering enduring connections vital to our success.
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Mahendra Sinh Jadeja
Director of India Operations
Mahendra’s motto has always been “to serve”. Over the last 3 decades he has dedicated his time to serve the community.
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Gary Stephenson
Head of ICT
Meet the information communication technology (ICT) guru of the team, with over 20 years of experience and technical and analytical skills