Digital Ally is diversifying again, creating a subsidiary called BirdVu Jets, a private service that offers on-demand air charter across the U.S.
On Friday, BirdVu will host a private event to launch the company and show off its jets to the media and potential private charter customers.
BirdVu is offered in partnership with Olathe-based Air Associates Charter Inc., which was established in 2002 and provides service from Johnson County Executive Airport. The company also offers charter services through Kansas City Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport, operating as MKC Aviation.
BirdVu has three Citation jets, a King Air 200 and a Beechjet Hawker 400 XP.
BirdVu’s business plan is to provide transportation for business travel and medical services. The company already is doing some business with hospitals, an idea that stemmed from Digital Ally’s medical billing company.
“We currently do quite a bit of business through relationships we have with hospitals,” Digital Ally CEO Stan Ross said. “Our plane is ideal in its capabilities. It’s perfect as transportation for organ transplants where they need a plane that can go into small community hospitals and get it. You don’t need a super long runway.”
Ross also hopes to charter flights for musical artists who want to perform at small venues but typically don’t because they’re far away from major airports.
“Some artists who have a big enough name don’t want to work that hard to get there, so they stick to the venues near major airports,” Ross said. “But if we could charter a jet and fly them straight there, then fly them back to Nashville or wherever, that’s far more appealing to them.”
Previously, Digital Ally manufactured body camera and in-car camera systems for law enforcement agencies. Over the past few years, it branched out into ticket sales, custom event planning and production, disinfectant and personal protective equipment sales and medical billing. BirdVu is its latest expansion.
The diversification began after Digital faced major financial troubles in 2019, when its year-end report included a statement raising “substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern within the next year.”
The company rebounded, conducting an institutional capital raise of about $40 million 2021. It’s spending the money on acquiring and setting up subsidiaries that diversify its revenue stream, as well as finding new markets for its existing products and services.
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