Starspeed Increases Productivity with Air Maestro

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Starspeed Increases Productivity with Vellox Safety & Ops Suite
15 January 2026

Organization Overview
Starspeed is a charter helicopter operator and aviation training organisation based in the United Kingdom. The company manages a fleet of 21 helicopters operating across 65 countries worldwide and has flown many high-profile clients including Presidents, Princes and even a Pope.
In addition to global charter operations, Starspeed also operates scheduled helicopter services. Since November 2022, the company has run daily flights between Penzance Heliport in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly using two Sikorsky S-76 helicopters.
With operations spanning multiple regions and regulatory requirements, Starspeed required a system capable of supporting complex operational management while maintaining the high standards expected in VIP and commercial helicopter services.

The Challenge
Before implementing a digital management platform, Starspeed relied heavily on multiple databases and spreadsheets that were maintained independently across departments.
This fragmented approach created inefficiencies, reduced visibility of operational data and made management oversight more difficult.
“A key challenge for our organisation was the manual processes that took huge amounts of time. Management oversight and control was difficult, plus there were multiple complex spreadsheets and low visibility of data,” said Darren Underwood, Safety and Compliance Manager at Starspeed.
As operations continued to expand globally, Starspeed needed a centralised system that could streamline processes, improve transparency and ensure teams could easily access critical operational information.

The Solution: Vellox’s Safety & Ops Platform
Starspeed selected Safety and Ops Suite (formerly Air Maestro) — now part of the Vellox Group — as its core company management system, initially focusing on its operations and training capabilities.
The platform stood out due to its intuitive interface, ease of use and competitive pricing. However, after implementation, the team quickly realised the platform offered far more value than initially expected.
In addition to operations and training management, Starspeed began using the system to consolidate safety management, audit processes and operational oversight within a single integrated platform.
Today, the Vellox platform supports a wide range of Starspeed’s operational workflows, including:
Flight planning and operational management
Flight time limitations (FTL) monitoring
Safety management and reporting
Training records and recency tracking
Audits and compliance oversight
Forms and internal documentation
Exams and training assessments
Document storage and procedures management
This unified approach has created a central hub for operational data and communication across the organisation.

“I think productivity and accessibility has noticeably increased. Having a centralised management system where everyone can access the information they need, anywhere at any time, has reduced the workload on department managers.”

Implementation and Adoption
Like many digital transformations, the implementation required time for teams to adapt to new workflows and processes.
“As people used the system more, they could see the benefits, including the ability to manage communication through alerts, personal training records and forms,” Underwood explained.
Over time, the platform became deeply integrated into Starspeed’s daily operations, enabling teams to manage critical operational data and communication from a single system.

Results and Benefits
Since adopting the platform, Starspeed has seen significant improvements in operational visibility, team collaboration and productivity.
Key outcomes include:
Centralised operational control
Management teams now have a unified view of training records, audit plans and safety management data, enabling better oversight and faster decision-making.
Improved collaboration across departments
Changes to procedures, forms or documentation are now visible across the organisation, helping teams understand how updates affect other departments.
Increased productivity and accessibility
Staff can access operational information anytime and from anywhere, significantly reducing administrative workload and improving efficiency.
Integrated training and scheduling management
The platform connects training records, qualification status and recency data with operational scheduling, helping ensure compliance and operational readiness.

“Safety and Ops Suite (formerly Air Maestro) provides operators with the flexibility to capture additional information that may be specific to their operation — it is the only system that is tailored to helicopter operations with scheduling functionality.”

What Stood out Most
For Starspeed, one of the platform’s most valuable features is its ability to integrate multiple operational functions within a single system.
Previously, departments operated in silos with separate systems and spreadsheets. Today, operational, safety and training processes are connected, giving teams greater visibility and control.
This level of integration allows Starspeed to manage its global operations more efficiently while maintaining the high safety and compliance standards expected in helicopter charter operations.

Looking Ahead
With the Vellox platform supporting its operational infrastructure, Starspeed is well positioned to manage its growing global charter operations and scheduled services.
By replacing fragmented spreadsheets and databases with an integrated digital platform, the organisation has significantly improved productivity, operational transparency and team collaboration.
As Starspeed continues to expand its operations, the platform will remain central to ensuring safe, efficient and compliant helicopter operations worldwide.

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