Charter & Fractional
ACA Forum Explores Changing Role of Air Charter Brokers with AI
ACA is hosting its second U.S. forum as membership grows
Panelists at The Air Charter Association 2026 U.S. Regional Forum
Panelists at the Air Charter Association 2026 U.S. Regional Forum discuss the role of AI in charter brokering. From left: Wendi Matthews-Ortiz (Hunt & Palmer), Simon Freund (The Private Jet App), Roger Zhan (Floating Fleet AI), Saskia de Jong (Avinode), and Logan Laporte (Trilogy Aviation Group). © Kerry Lynch/AIN

AI cannot replace air charter brokers at this time, industry experts opined during a session this morning at The Air Charter Association (ACA) U.S. Regional Forum, but they also see growing use of back-end AI systems to make the process more efficient. ACA kicked off its 2026 U.S. forum in Dallas with a focus on the charter broker’s value and changing role, particularly as AI takes root.

The key theme for brokers, according to panelists Wendi Matthews-Ortiz, senior v-p of executive aviation for Hunt & Palmer, and Logan Laporte, v-p of strategy for Trilogy Aviation Group, is the communication that the broker provides as a conduit between the retail customer and the operator. Roger Zhan, founder and CEO of Floating Fleet AI, added that the broker brings certainty in a transaction that typically does not have it.