Mehdi Mokhtar
CEO
Fox Tripper
After working as a general manager of French supermarket conglomerate Les Mousquetaires, Mehdi spent two years working
at a crowdfunding startup. He then decided to combine his professional experience with his passion for technology and travel, and co-founded Fox Tripper in 2017.
Fun Facts:
Location: YYZ
Now watching: Star Trek (the film, not the series)
Years in the industry: 2
Passport stamp you wish you had: Japan
Favorite social network: LinkedIn
What’s the most overlooked aspect of the passenger experience?
Travelers often plan their stay only after they’ve reached their destination, because they didn’t have time to organize it before leaving home. With new
in-flight entertainment technology, like Fox Tripper, the aircraft will become the best place to plan your trip.
How does Fox Tripper make the aircraft an ideal place to plan your trip?
Most travelers would like to receive information about their destination, as well as offers, during their flight. Fox Tripper’s Omni Shop is an interactive solution that allows passengers to plan their stay during their flight, with the perfect ecosystem of content and deals in 300 destinations. Passengers can choose from 30,000 activities, events and services like car rentals or airport transfers.
Is there a story behind the name “Fox Tripper?”
Travelers must be clever, like foxes, in order to find the most relevant information and best offers. Fox Tripper does this work for them.
“Airlines are very risk-averse, but … you’d be surprised how willing they are to adopt new technology if it will benefit passengers.”
How will the IFE experience change over the next decade?
A revolution is already taking place. Aircraft will be more connected, and with advances in technology, such as Inmarsat’s GX Aviation and Gogo’s 2Ku, passengers are benefiting from an in-flight Wi-Fi experience that’s close to the one they have on the ground. Embedded IFE systems like Thales’ Avant or Panasonic’s Next offer passengers a user experience that leaves little to be desired.
How will data change the airline passenger experience?
Data will allow passengers to benefit from content and offers that are increasingly relevant, personalized and adapted to their expectations. Artificial intelligence and machine learning will support airlines in understanding how passengers’ needs evolve. Data will also allow for optimized crew service, enabling airlines to transform the in-flight experience into an exceptional moment, when the passenger feels unique.
What learnings have you applied from your previous role as general manager of a leading supermarket conglomerate?
Working in the supermarket sector brings the opportunity to hone an impressive panel of skills: management, negotiation, competitive strategy, marketing and communication, sales and more. All this expertise was required to maintain a steady relationship with customers and helped me to succeed in my previous job. Today, it allows me to bring a tailored answer to passengers’ expectations.
What’s something that never ceases to amaze you about the industry?
Before launching Fox Tripper, people told me that the airline industry was struggling to enter the 21st century. Airlines are very risk-averse, but if you bring all the necessary guarantees and take into account all their expectations by selecting for them the best technologies, the best partners and the best content, you’d be surprised by how willing airlines are to adopt new technology if it will benefit passengers. Plus, I like the challenge.
APEX in Profile: Mehdi Mokhtar was originally published in the 9.5 December/January issue of APEX Experience magazine