Surf Air jets off on its first flight from London to Zurich

Surf Air, the world’s first all-you-can-fly membership airline, took off on its maiden voyage this morning from London to Zurich.

Following the successful launch of leisure routes to the likes of Ibiza and Cannes this summer, the addition of Zurich has brought core business travel offering to the company, and has met significant demand from existing and prospective members.

Surf Air enables members to fly simply and quickly on executive aircraft from private terminals, meaning commercial airports are a thing of the past. Supposedly, the company offers zero queues, no tickets and therefore no hassle.

Simon Talling-Smith, CEO of Surf Air Europe, said: “We are excited to bring our unique proposition to the European market, with London to Zurich the first of many routes in the pipeline.

“Surf Air is all about saving business travellers valuable time, which over 4,000 US members can attest to and love. For professionals who travel frequently, we truly believe that our model is affordable and time-efficient with the added benefits of flying privately.”

The company allows seats to be secured by customers on their chosen flight in 30 seconds from any handheld device, and bookings can be cancelled any time.

Surf Air’s continued expansion in Europe has marked its success in the industry so far. The brand was launched in California in 2013 as the first private membership airline in the US. The company’s European launch came three weeks after it acquired its biggest competitor, RISE.

Members of Surf Air can also arrive at an airport 15 minutes before their plane is due to take off. Venture capital firms and private investors like Velos Partners, Plus Capital and Dermot Desmond are amongst the backing of the business.