• The VIP Seat
  • Posts
  • Zillow for Private Jets, Shell Kills SAF Plant

Zillow for Private Jets, Shell Kills SAF Plant

Plus, TBM Pilot Safety Data and EMAS Saves two planes in one day

AuthorAuthor

Jessica Naor & Preston Holland
September 10, 2025

✈️ The VIP Seat Weekly

Your business aviation hot takes, served fresh

This week: World Kinect acquires Universal's Trip Support Services for $220M, EMAS systems save two business jets in 24 hours, Aero Ventures launches "Zillow for jets" marketplace, Shell cancels $1B SAF project, and TBM pilots pioneer flight data monitoring.

Season 2, Episode 15 | September 10th, 2025 | Episode Companion

🛫 The Runway Report

The top 5 stories from this week's podcast that are moving the needle in bizav

1️⃣ World Kinect Gobbles Up Trip Support Services for $220M

8-Bit Love GIF by PAC-MAN™

Gif by officialpacman on Giphy

The Scoop: World Kinect (formerly World Fuel) acquired Universal Weather and Aviation's Trip Support Services division for $220 million. TSS handles flight planning, permits, and fuel releases for international flights - basically everything your corporate flight department doesn't want to deal with when flying to Zimbabwe at 3am on a weekend.

Our Take: This is about fuel flow synergies, we think. When you call for dispatch services, you're also booking fuel releases on the same call. World Kinect is betting they can capture more of that lucrative fuel business by controlling the trip support relationship. At $220M, TSS is either way bigger than we imagined or trading at sky-high multiples.

2️⃣ EMAS Systems Save Two Business Jets in One Day

The Scoop: Engineered Materials Arresting Systems prevented disasters at two airports within 24 hours - a Gulfstream G-150 at Chicago Executive and a Challenger 300 at Boca Raton both overran wet runways but were safely stopped by the foam-like arresting technology.

Our Take: Two injury-free runway overruns in one day makes the $2-6 million EMAS investment look like a bargain. Chicago Executive's 5,000-foot runway with a highway at the end shows why this tech matters. The G-150's nose was literally in traffic after going past the system - without EMAS, this would've been catastrophic.

3️⃣ Aero Ventures Launches "Zillow for Business Jets"

The Scoop: Former JetEdge CEO Bill Paparelli and JetSmarter founder Sergey Petrosov launched an AI-powered aircraft marketplace targeting $1 billion in annual transactions for jets over $10 million. The platform promises transparent pricing and valuations but faces the classic two-sided marketplace challenge.

Our Take: Cool concept, tough execution. The biggest problem: they're also aircraft brokers, so competitors won't list inventory on their platform. Preston says two-sided marketplaces need to be unbiased - you can't compete with your suppliers. Unless they achieve massive scale with their own inventory, this becomes a fancy listing site for Aero Ventures aircraft only.

4️⃣ Shell Kills $1 Billion SAF Plant (Reality Bites)

The Scoop: Shell pulled the plug on what would've been Europe's largest sustainable aviation fuel plant in Rotterdam, taking a $1 billion write-off. The facility was supposed to produce 800,000 tons of biofuels annually but was deemed "insufficiently competitive" without stronger policy incentives.

Our Take: Least shocking SAF news ever. We called this months ago - fossil fuels are cheap, SAF is expensive, and market forces beat good intentions every time. Aviation is only 2.5% of global emissions, and airlines have been optimizing fuel efficiency for decades. Without massive subsidies, SAF just isn't commercially viable.

5️⃣ TBM Pilots Pioneer DIY Flight Data Monitoring

nice wow wow wee wow GIF

Giphy

The Scoop: A group of 50 TBM pilots with 70,000 accident-free flight hours launched an independent flight data monitoring program, combining ADS-B data with Daher's "Me and My TBM" app to track safety metrics. The program shows significant correlations between flight data and safety outcomes.

Our Take: This is market-driven safety innovation at its finest. Single-engine turboprop pilots often stretch into these aircraft with minimal experience, making insurance expensive. This program could enable personalized insurance rates based on actual flying performance rather than demographic groupings. Expect competitors like Epic and Piper to follow suit.

🤳 Mile High Madness

This week's wildest aviation content from social media

Jessie's Greta Thunberg Fuel Meme: Classic FBO Memes gold - Greta's famous "How dare you!" photo perfectly placed next to a Jet A fuel inlet during refueling. Sometimes the memes write themselves, especially when environmental activists travel the world protesting energy consumption.

Preston's Spinning Grandma Helicopter Rescue: The viral video of a 74-year-old hiker's stretcher spinning uncontrollably during a helicopter rescue, reportedly leading to a $450K lawsuit settlement. Preston's helicopter phobia gets validated once again - this is exactly why he sticks to fixed-wing aircraft.

⚡ Quick Hits

Other stories on our radar

  • Air Culinaire Stays Put - Universal keeps the lucrative catering business while selling trip support services

  • Fourth Quarter Ramp-Up - Transaction season heating up as Q3 ends and deal-makers prepare for year-end push

  • JetNet IQ Summit - Preston heading to DC this week, plus Tennessee Business Aviation Static Display in Chattanooga

🎧 This Week's Episode

Missed the podcast? Catch up on the full episode at the links below! We would LOVE if you would give us a 5 start review, and share with your friends!

✈️ The Final Approach

Missed the podcast? Catch up on our September 9th episode where we dive into fuel industry consolidation, runway safety technology success stories, and why the "Zillow for jets" concept faces major marketplace challenges.

The VIP Seat Weekly is the companion newsletter to The VIP Seat podcast. We give you the business aviation hot takes for your commute.

How did you like this week's episode?

Give us your honest feedback. We dish it, we can take it!

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

Reply

or to participate.