Expanding the runway: Flightpath simplifies global payments for smoother operations

How Flightpath found financial efficiency with turbulence-free transactions

Flightpath is a Canadian-based private executive jet charter and management company specializing in bespoke aircraft management and luxury private air travel. Dedicated to delivering effortless, refined, and personalized flying experiences, Flightpath ensures that every journey – for business or leisure – is seamless and exceptional. Providing this level of service globally requires precision in the air and efficiency on the ground – including financial management. For Flightpath’s finance and operations teams, managing global payments means handling multiple currencies, vendors, and banking complexities. 

As the business scaled, traditional banking solutions introduced friction: 

• International transactions took too long to process

• FX fees added unnecessary costs

• Manual reconciliation created administrative bottlenecks. 

These challenges didn’t just impact the back office – they had the potential to disrupt the effortless experience Flightpath promises its clients. 

The challenge

A fragmented and inefficient payment infrastructure

For a company committed to delivering exceptional experiences, managing international payments was a growing challenge. Before Airwallex, Flightpath relied on a complex patchwork of traditional banking systems and third-party providers, causing delays, unpredictable FX costs, and operational hurdles. Payments often got stuck for weeks, and tracking incoming funds required constant back-and-forth between teams.

Virginia Dow

Accounting Controller at Flightpath

“Before Airwallex, payments were a manual, time-consuming process – stacks of paper, long delays, and weeks spent tracking missing funds. Now, payments are seamless, saving us at least half a day per week.”

As Flightpath expanded, these roadblocks added unnecessary complexity, diverting focus from growth and operations. To continue delivering a smooth experience to its clients, the business needed a financial solution to streamline payment processes, automate transactions, and provide real-time visibility into cash flow.

The solution

A modern, automated, and cost-effective financial platform

To simplify cross-border payments and FX across its US and Canadian entities, Flightpath adopted Airwallex Business Accounts, Spend, and Core API for Payouts – giving them greater control over global transactions and streamlining how they move money internationally. The company no longer has to juggle multiple banking providers or deal with slow wire transfers. With Airwallex, Flightpath ensures vendors are paid on time, and cash flow remains steady.

Beyond improving transaction speed, Airwallex also brought much-needed clarity to Flightpath’s financial operations. Previously, sales teams had to check in with accounting multiple times daily to confirm whether client payments had arrived, slowing down both teams. With real-time payment visibility, sales leaders can monitor transactions independently, keeping deals moving forward without delays.

On top of that, Airwallex’s intuitive UX made adoption easy. 

David Shaver

Managing Director at Flightpath

“You can tell Airwallex was designed with the customer in mind – the UX is intuitive, and the user flow just makes sense. It made us feel comfortable adopting the platform immediately.”

Airwallex’s mobile-friendly platform allows finance leaders to approve payments instantly, ensuring critical transactions aren’t delayed – even outside business hours. 

The results

Significant time savings and improved financial control

Since adopting Airwallex, Flightpath has gained greater efficiency, faster payments, and improved financial visibility – all critical for a business operating across multiple regions.

• Previously, some payments took four to five weeks to resolve, creating operational strain. Now, transactions clear nearly instantly, reducing delays and ensuring vendors and partners are paid on time.

• Payment tracking, which once consumed half a day per week, has been dramatically reduced, allowing the finance team to focus on higher-priority work.

• Sales teams – who once had to rely on accounting for updates – can now self-serve payment status updates, reducing back-and-forth communication.

“Our sales team no longer has to chase accounting for payment updates. They can check Airwallex in real time,” says Virginia. “Plus, I can approve payments on my phone, making everything faster and more efficient.”

In addition to saving time, Airwallex has also helped Flightpath cut costs. By leveraging competitive FX rates and a transparent fee structure, the company has significantly reduced expenses related to cross-border payments. “Airwallex’s FX rates are competitive,” Virginia notes. “It’s great knowing we can convert currency without exorbitant fees.”

She also highlights the operational efficiencies Airwallex has unlocked. The ability to pay US vendors via ACH instead of costly wire transfers has streamlined operations, further reducing expenses. Leadership can now approve payments instantly via mobile, ensuring that urgent vendor and charter-related expenses are never delayed.

“Previously, payments could get lost in the system for weeks,” Virginia explains. “With Airwallex, we’ve eliminated that uncertainty. Transactions are processed quickly, and we can track everything in one place.”

A finance strategy built for the future

As Flightpath continues to expand in the US, efficiently managing cross-border payments will be critical to maintaining smooth operations and financial control. The company needs a financial infrastructure that can scale alongside its growth plans, which include expanding its fleet and establishing new facilities.

“Flightpath has grown from managing just a couple of aircraft to overseeing a fleet of over 20 across Canada and the US,” says David. “As we scale, having a financial system that keeps pace with our expansion – without adding complexity – is key.”

For Virginia, reliability is just as important as scalability. The fact that Airwallex has worked seamlessly for its operations in Canada gives her confidence that it'll continue to support its US expansion.

“A cloud-based, multi-entity financial solution makes managing our business across borders much more manageable,” she explains.

She also emphasizes the importance of modern financial solutions for businesses expanding internationally, noting that many traditional banks and credit unions struggle to handle cross-border transactions efficiently.

“Airwallex allows businesses of all sizes to manage multi-currency payments without the red tape and delays of traditional banks,” she says.

With Airwallex, Flightpath has built a future-ready financial infrastructure that allows its team to focus on what truly matters – growing the business and delivering exceptional service to clients worldwide. With a system designed for scalability, Flightpath is confident that payments and operational complexity will never hold it back as it expands.