Airfly launches with unlimited flights between Sydney and Melbourne

Melbourne-based start-up, Airfly, is set to launch, offering members unlimited flights on the busy route between Sydney and Melbourne, and claiming to cut two hours off normal travel times in the process. Members will pay a one-off AUD $1,000 joining fee and a monthly fee of AUD $2,550 to AUD $3,750, depending on the flexibility required, and can arrive just 15-minutes before departure via a private terminal with concierge, no queues and no security screenings. There are plans to expand the service as quickly as possible to other Australian airports.

Australian frequent flyers will have the opportunity to shave at least two hours off their travels with a new luxury membership-based private airline with unlimited flights.

Melbourne-based Luke Hampshire, 28, Alexander Robinson, 32, and Ivan Vysotskiy, 37, are soon to fly Airly members between Australian centres in premium eight-seat aircrafts.

The members will pay a flat-rate and one-off joining fee, and will have the privilege of arriving just 15-minutes before departure from a private terminal with concierge, no queues and no security screenings.

But the biggest draw-card for is the potential to save two hours per round trip when compared to commercial flights, the co-founders told Daily Mail Australia.

Airly flights will be on eight-seater King Air 350s. Passengers will only be required to arrive 15-minutes before departure and are expected to save around two hours for a round trip between Sydney and Melbourne when compared to commercial flights

Co-founders Luke Hampshire (right), 28, Alexander Robinson (middle), 32, and Ivan Vysotskiy (left), 37, expect to launch the start-up in July at the latest

Airly will initially offer 54 flights a week on King Air 350s between Sydney's Bankstown Airport, Melbourne's Essendon Airport and Canberra, with plans to expand to Brisbane followed by holiday destinations like the Gold Coast, Byron Bay and Hamilton Island.

‘Wherever the demand is we’ll go,’ co-founders Mr Hampshire and Mr Robinson said.

Although Bankstown Airport is further from Sydney's CBD, there is expected to be less air congestion and so will save flyers time regardless.

Essendon Airport also benefits from not only having lower air congestion, but is just 16km to Melbourne's CBD, compared with 24km for Tullamarine Airport.

Members will pay a one-off $1000 joining fee and a monthly fee for unlimited flights of between $2550 and $3750, depending on the flexibility they require.

Mr Hampshire (pictured) said he'd been playing with the idea for 18-months, and that the pair had touched base with one another after discovering they were working on similar concepts and 'shared the same vision'

Mr Hampshire said he'd been playing with the idea for 18-months, and that he touched base with Mr Robinson (pictured) when the pair discovered they were working on similar concepts and 'shared the same vision'

The service, which the founders says is aimed at business flyers, will offer bookings up to 30-minutes before departure, with no baggage or cancellation fees, as well as free changes to reservations, and flights which take off no matter how few are flying.

HOW WILL AIRLY WORK? There are Basic, Business and Enterprise memberships to choose from. Basic: $2550 per month. Comes with two reservation passes which can be reused an unlimited number of times within the month. However, no more than two flights can be booked at one time. Business: $3150 per month. Comes with four reservation passes and opportunity to bring a friend for $1000 return. Enterprise: $3750 per month. Comes with six reservation passes and can be shared between users. There are no extra costs to fly. Membership costs pays for baggage, cancelling or rescheduling flights, parking, bespoke service and concierge at the private terminal, and the flights themselves. Flights will not be cancelled even when under-booked. Passengers are expected to save up to two-hours for round trips between Melbourne and Sydney. Members can arrive 15-minutes before departure.

Wi-fi will not initially be offered on the aircrafts, but will hopefully be added at a later date while free parking is offered on site at the private terminals.

And members will not be security screened at departure or arrival, but will merely have to partake in a National Security Check.

Mr Robinson told Daily Mail Australia, however, that there are 'several security and safety layers in place to ensure the safety of all members, the public and crew'.

'Airly will operate in full compliance with all applicable security and safety requirements, as this is a key tenet of our operating principles.'

Aside from shaving hours off their travel time, the frequent business flyers will likely also end up saving money on their travel costs.

‘In short, an Airly Membership provides you access to all the benefits of having your own private plane at a fraction of the cost,’ the website claims, joining what the founders expect to be a 'growing community filled with like-minded individuals including CEOs, Directors, Founders, decision makers and movers and shakers'.

Alongside the efficiency, Mr Hampshire and Mr Robinson told Daily Mail Australia a secondary benefit is the ‘networking event’ the likeminded members will experience ‘every time you jump on a plane’.

They said they'll be launching business as usual in July at the latest, but could have a softer launch by March.

However, the company could be up and running within four weeks of breaking even through membership fees.

‘Airlines have been ingrained in this ticketed model for 60-odd years,’ the co-founders told Daily Mail Australia. ‘We’re trying to turn it on its head'

Mr Hampshire said he'd been playing with the idea for 18-months, and that the pair had touched base with one another after discovering they were working on similar concepts and 'shared the same vision'.

Mr Hampshire and Mr Robinson, along with third co-founder Mr Vysotskiy (pictured), have all fronted up the initial start-up capital

By October they were working at the 'start-up company that's trying to disrupt a solidified industry' full-steam.

The co-founders said they’d had an ‘awful lot of interest’ from frequent business travellers who want to save the extra time and ‘help build something and be part of something so different and unheard of in Australia’.

‘Airlines have been ingrained in this ticketed model for 60-odd years,’ the co-founders told Daily Mail Australia. ‘We’re trying to turn it on its head.’

The business model is based on California-based Surf Air, the only difference being that Airly will not own its aircraft.

Mr Hampshire and Mr Robinson, along with third co-founder Mr Vysotskiy, have all fronted up the initial start-up capital.

‘We’re serious about showing potential investors as well as members that this is something we’re engaged with full-time,’ the co-founders said.

The Melbourne-based start-up has ordered their first three King Air 350s from the US through an aircraft management company.

Browse the Airly website here.