Mortgage Magnate Mike Pero Becomes Jet Charter Owner

Despite registering the name of ‘Pacific Express Airlines’ with the company's office and being the sole director and shareholder of this new business jet charter airline, Mike Pero, owner of Mike Pero Mortgages, is saying he still has no immediate plans to start flying as of yet.
"I saw some opportunities in the Pacific, and I haven't taken it too much further at this stage; I just thought I'd grab a company name while one was available,” he said. “We may do something down the line, but the focus now is the mortgage brokering business."

Pero is no stranger to the jet charter business—he once ran Airlink Services, a one-plane Christchurch-based commuter airline that flew to Timaru and Alexandra— tapping into the old Ansett New Zealand network.

"I have an interest in aviation and have considered something through to the Pacific Islands in more recent times, but that's as far as it's gone," Pero continued.

Despite selling 90 percent of the company to Christchurch businessman George Gould for $13.5 million, Pero is embarking on a cross country tour to promote the public offer of shares in his company, Mike Pero Mortgages, which he established in 1990 and has since grown to include 35 franchises.

Pero possesses Cook Islands heritage and was also named the Business Person of the Year recently at the Pacific Business Awards. This is something he is hoping will help attract loyalty from Pacific Island travelers.

Pero also acknowledges he may be facing stiff competition down the road from major airlines who are venturing into the jet charter business. For instance, Air New Zealand has responded aggressively to an attempt by both the Flight Centre and Airworks—two smaller jet charter startups—to begin charters out of provincial cities in that region by pumping more flights and services out of its own discount wing, Freedom Air.