Leading with numbers: How KlasJet’s CEO is driving global growth and smarter spend with Payhawk

KlasJet, a provider of VIP charter flights and comprehensive aircraft management services, operates across five continents and is planning to expand into a sixth – North America. But for Justinas Bulka, the company’s CEO and former CFO, success isn’t just about scale, it’s about precision. In this interview, he shares how KlasJet is expanding globally, enforcing smart financial discipline, and using tools like Payhawk to stay efficient, responsive, and in full control of its spend.

Let’s start with the big picture. How would you describe KlasJet’s growth trajectory and operational priorities today - what’s top of mind for you as CEO?

Justinas Bulka: KlasJet is part of the Avia Solutions Group, the world’s largest ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance) provider, operating a fleet of 209 aircraft. We are successfully expanding in two business segments: VIP full charter and ACMI. As one of the few European operators covering both of these distinct segments, we are uniquely positioned in the market.

Despite the growing demand for our services in both areas, we recognize that one of the key market directions is a focus on efficiency, cost savings, and optimization. With support from the Group and our partners, we remain committed to maintaining the highest service quality while staying profitable.

You previously held the role of CFO for almost 4 years. How has your financial background shaped your approach to leadership, especially in a dynamic sector like private aviation?

Numbers are important, they don’t lie. Data, in general, helps us make better decisions. We hold regular meetings within each department to review weekly or monthly indicators, ensuring alignment with our goals: to be fast, efficient, deliver high-quality services, and remain safe and profitable.

The aviation industry has its own unique operational demands. What are some of the finance-related challenges you face when managing international spend?

The aviation industry is global, and so are we. While Europe has always been our core market - accounting for about 70% of our activity - we have recently expanded operations to Israel, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. There are also plans to launch operations in North America. Avia Solutions Group now operates on six of the seven continents.

In such a global context, ensuring secure and efficient payments and transactions is essential. Some operations require card payments, so we sought out reliable solutions. Today, we use Payhawk, which has enabled us to achieve real-time cost control, efficient credit card issuance and suspension, and access to an advanced reporting dashboard.

How has Payhawk changed the way your teams manage and control expenses - both for card holding employees and for your finance team?

As mentioned earlier, we’re very satisfied with our decision to partner with Payhawk. The key advantages include clear and easily manageable online expense control, as well as straightforward administration for issuing and deactivating cards.

Payhawk offers a powerful tool - available both online and via a mobile app - that enables everyone to track their spending and submit accurate, necessary information to the Finance team in a timely manner. While some manual tasks remain, the system has significantly reduced the resources required to manage credit card-related expenses and has improved our overall efficiency.

Private aviation often requires agility and speed. How important is real-time visibility and control over spend when you’re operating across borders and time zones and how does Payhawk support you with that?

I’d say it’s essential regardless of the business profile. The accounting team always aims to receive properly documented and timely expense reports. Payhawk helps us track spending in real time and avoid unapproved or unexplained expenses at the end of the month. Additionally, since the system works via mobile, we are not restricted by location, region, or local requirements.