Adam Scott, Founder & CEO of BermudAir
On Tuesday, April 1st, I had the honor to interview Adam Scott. Mr. Scott is the Founder and CEO of BermudAir. He has more than 15 years of experience in the aviation industry, working for BermudAir and Odyssey Airlines. Prior to that, Mr. Scott served as VP of Equity Sales at Aton from 2010-2011, and as a Senior Associate at Goldman Sachs from 2006-2010. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Joshua Kupietzky: How did you come up with BermudAir, and how did you enter the Bermuda aviation market?
Adam Scott: I stumbled across Bermuda when I was working on a different airline [Odyssey Airlines]. A very good friend of mine that I've worked with was a Bermudian. I ended up spending a lot of time in Bermuda and fell in love with the island. I saw a real gap in the market. So, I saw the opportunity to pivot to Bermuda and launch an airline there. From day one, we have had a direct and meaningful impact on the local community; the rest is history.
JK: Now that Bermuda has a flag carrier, how has that affected the local community? Have more locals traveled? Has tourism to the island increased?
AS: From what I can see and hear, it has made a meaningful impact. I can feel our presence whenever I walk around the island and talk to people. It has led to a significant increase in the amount of travel that Bermudians can do and has brought in new passengers to Bermuda that wouldn't have otherwise flown here. I bumped into a group of golfers from Halifax on Front Street who would have never come to Bermuda had it not been for BermudAir. They all have a significant impact on the economy. It is not only the flights but their hotels; it's the money they spend at restaurants and bars, using taxis, and even using their mobile phone. It's all the trickle-down economics that these new visitors provide to the island. Also, for those who live on the island, we've opened up the eastern seaboard of the United States and Canada to them, making life that much easier. We have been embraced by the community, and I'm very proud of what the team has accomplished and their ability to get that holistic buy-in from the community.
JK: Now that Bermuda has an airline, do you foresee more Bermudians joining the aviation industry, and will you be able to recruit more homegrown talent?
AS: Before BermudAir came along, Bermuda was relatively isolated in the Atlantic. Bermudians have a natural knack for travel and are one of the most well-traveled populations on the planet, so there has always been this interest in aviation. As we have established ourselves, we have been able to nurture and foster this interest in the aviation industry. Today, more than half the company is Bermudian, including a significant number of flight attendants/cabin crew that would never have otherwise had the opportunity to work in the aviation industry. We recently hired our first Bermudian pilot, Tariq Lynch-Wade. The community is so passionate about the industry. I've had people walk into our office and say, "Listen, I don't care what the opportunity is; I just want to work with you guys, and I want to be part of this." And to me, that is what this is all about. This is a human and community business. I'm so proud of the team that we can embrace and help develop that as part of what we do.
JK: BermudAir first launched with an all-business class model, but because of COVID and other complications, that did not happen. Will you ever return to that all-business class model?
AS: I don’t think so. We launched in record time. We went from securing our first aircraft and funding to our first flight in seven or eight months. Over that span, we learned a lot and have learned a lot more in the subsequent 20 months we have been operating. We now better understand what the market is, where the demand is, and where we see growth opportunities. Bermuda is a very unique market and we see opportunities in cargo, medevacs, and private charters.
JK: How does BermudAir differentiate itself from major airlines such as American and United? Also, since the airline is relatively new, how can you reach new customers and convince them to fly on BermudAir instead of one of the major airlines?
AS: What excites me the most is that Bermuda is the most beautiful place on the planet. It is just 90 minutes from the East Coast of the United States and just over two hours from Canada. Our opportunity with Bermuda is to provide passengers with a point-to-point option. The major airlines are focused on volume and connecting people through their hubs, while our focus is on a point-to-point model, and that is where the opportunity is.
JK: You are expanding your fleet to include two E190s. When will they enter service, and what routes are you planning to use these larger jets for?
AS: We are going to take two E190s with 96 seats. Ultimately, we'd like to transition to an all-E190 fleet for commonality purposes because 96 seats is the right size aircraft for the markets we serve. The E190 is a more versatile aircraft as it has greater cargo capacity. It performs better in restrictive airports such as Westchester, and in the summer months, it will perform better in some more challenging markets such as Toronto.
JK: BermudAir puts a lot of effort into ensuring a great passenger experience. Why is BermudAir taking a different approach when other airlines want to cut costs?
AS: We are able to improve the experience at little to no cost. For example, when you get on a BermudAir flight, our crew smiles at the passengers, is pleased to be there, and are proud of their jobs. That is a real differentiator. You rarely get on a plane, and the flight crew is pleased to see you and proud to be there.
JK: Bermuda recently completed construction on a new airport terminal. What does that mean for BermudAir as far as expanding your operations?
AS: Bermuda's airport is beautiful and unlike any other island airport. One of the most extraordinary things about Bermuda is that we have US preclearance; when travelers fly back from Bermuda, they have the benefit of landing as a domestic arrival. This makes traveling to Bermuda easy and stress-free for passengers.
JK: What other destinations are you looking to add to your robust route network, and what are your goals for the airline?
AS: We have a whole list of markets that could support one or two weekly frequencies. Right now, the biggest challenge for us is the available hotel capacity in Bermuda. That said, we are trying to show customers that Bermuda is a year-round destination, as there is a lot of capacity on the island during the off-season.
