From Brokering Private Jets at 17 to Building a Transparent Aviation Tech Platform

Private jet brokers can quietly add 30 to 40 percent to a flight before the client ever sees the invoice. At 17, Charles Robinson was inside that system. By 24, he decided to rebuild it. In this episode of Independent Minds by Pictet, we sit down with Charles, founder of Enterjet, a technology platform connecting private flyers directly with vetted aircraft operators. Charles began brokering flights from the back of a classroom using Instagram and publicly available “empty leg” flight data. What started as a teenage side hustle exposed him to a largely unregulated industry built on opaque pricing, floating commissions, and information asymmetry between brokers and clients. Rather than simply benefit from it, he chose to engineer something different. In this conversation, Charles explains how traditional private aviation brokerage works, why commission structures can distort pricing by up to 40 percent, and how Interjet’s fixed-fee model aims to introduce transparency into a market that has historically avoided it. We explore the operational realities of scaling a high-ticket service business, the hidden complexity of payment processing in travel, and why aircraft operators are the true “product” behind the platform. We also discuss the generational shift reshaping private aviation. The era of champagne and white linen is fading. A new customer, average age 33, values speed, efficiency, and clarity over spectacle. Enterjet’s rapid growth among female members and younger flyers reflects a broader wealth transfer already underway. This conversation is not just about jets. It is about what happens when a young founder sees inside a broken system early, understands its incentives, and decides to redesign it around trust instead of margin. This episode is essential listening for founders, operators, and anyone interested in how technology can modernise legacy industries from the inside. In this episode, you will learn • How Charles brokered his first private jet deal at 17 • Why private aviation brokerage remains largely unregulated • How hidden commissions distort pricing in luxury travel • Why a fixed transaction fee changes customer behaviour • The operational risks of processing high-ticket travel payments • Why aircraft operators, not brokers, are the true backbone of the industry • How Interjet grew a younger, more female customer base • Why Gen Z views private aviation as efficiency, not status • The strategic importance of specialisation in luxury markets • How to build trust in industries historically built on opacity Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Charles Robinson and Interjet 00:14 What Enterjet is and how it removes traditional brokers 00:34 Brokering private jets from a classroom at 17 01:27 The unregulated reality of early aviation brokerage 02:41 How brokers structure deals and where margins hide 03:56 Why Enterjet refuses to become a luxury generalist 05:18 The shift toward specialisation in premium markets 06:22 Launching Enterjet post-Covid and timing the market 08:23 Why operators are the real product 09:51 Building a lean team from solo founder to structured company 11:10 Marketing as the primary growth engine 12:41 B2B strategy in a small, relationship-driven market 15:18 Why Instagram remains critical for premium positioning 16:27 Expanding female membership in a male-led industry 18:16 Why the average flyer age has dropped to 33 19:38 The end of champagne-era aviation 21:30 Beyond luxury: medical and insurance-driven private flights 22:45 Entering new markets including the US and Brazil 23:45 The origins of brokerage commissions 25:21 How 30 to 40 percent markups happen 26:53 What “self-regulation” means in practice 28:04 Aircraft inspections and enforcing aesthetic standards 29:38 Why younger customers demand full transparency 31:15 Final reflections on the future of Enterjet Follow Independent Minds by Pictet Instagram: @independentminds.pod LinkedIn: The Pictet Group Follow Enterjet LinkedIn: EnterJet Website: @