Flying with the stars: Ananke Swanepoel’s glamorous career in private jet service

From budget airlines to silver service in the sky, Ananke Swanepoel has done it all and, she says, there’s no better job in the world than flying.

With a career that’s taken her from commercial airlines to the exclusive world of private jet service, Swanepoel has catered to the world and seen parts of it that most of us can only dream of.

“I will never forget the incredible sights at Easter Island,” she says.

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Swanepoel was privileged to operate a private charter in that part of the world a few years ago and was invited along to explore the mysterious stone heads. She has visited monasteries, museums, seen art collections and visited wineries where few tourists ever get to go.

On board, she has worked with celebrities, sports personalities, billionaires and rock stars. It’s an Instagram life that selfie dreams are made of.

But before private jetting, Swanepoel started her career as a cabin crew member at Mango Airlines, the now-defunct low-cost airline. After that, she graduated to a Middle Eastern carrier about a decade ago; first paying her dues in economy, then promoted to business and, later, first class.

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“I got to see the world on a hectic schedule,” she says and points out that large airlines work on massive efficiencies, precision timing and a bucket-load of sweat.

“It was a lot of fun and I had the opportunity to meet people from all over the world and many walks of life.

“But on the downside, it was a rarity that the exploration of different cultures and countries allowed for more than a few hours of pit stop and a lot of sleep,” she smiles.

However, the desire for new challenges led her back to South Africa where she tried her hand at corporate flying, an area that presented its own set of challenges. It’s a closed shop because positions are coveted by incumbent cabin crew and on-board flight attendants.

“I was looking for something new and, to get into the business, I had to try and try again to get noticed.”

She even went as far as asking pilot friends to smuggle her into offices, get appointments and present herself, just to get a break into the world of private jets. Once she got in, she says, it was an eye-opener.

“It was so different to what I was used to on commercial airlines. The attention to detail that is required is exceptionally fine. Everything is prepared and executed to the most minute things. It is bespoke flying to the highest degree imaginable.”

Usually, travelling with VIPs can be demanding and sometimes verges on the bizarre. Across the internet there are accounts of VIPs insisting on only eating particular colours of chocolate-coated sweets, champagne-slugging drunkards who would otherwise be known for sobriety on the ground, people who prefer to fly naked and other eccentricities and excesses.

Most of the rich and famous travel with a rider, a kind of document that lists their requirements on board. But Swanepoel won’t be drawn into revealing any salacious details of her trips.

“One of the most important things between a customer and a corporate jet cabin crew member is the level of trust between client and provider,” she says.

“Nobody should speak out of turn or betray their customers because that not only compromises the guest, but doesn’t say much about your own integrity.”

And of course, spilling the beans can be severely career-limiting. Because it is a tough industry to get into – and there’s a growing demand for high-calibre cabin crew or in-flight attendants – Swanepoel also decided to start a placement and training service.

Named Opulent Air Crew, she provides training in the exacting requirements of the industry to existing and aspiring candidates, while also providing a placement service for private jetting clients.

“I would have loved it if someone was there to show me the ropes or simply to figure out how to break into the area,” she says.

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Swanepoel also consults on aircraft outfitting.

“When a new aircraft gets bought, it has nothing on it… I will measure everything, then kit it out from front to aft with exactly what is needed,” she says.

It’s all part of her bigger plan to expand her business into a comprehensive corporate-jet travel offering.

“The industry has shown substantial growth after the pandemic and so too have the opportunities. It is a wonderful business to be in,” says Swanepoel.

– news@citizen.co.za