On June 1 Bonnier Corporation purchased Flying magazine and four other titles from Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. The writers, editors and staff of Flying were all transferred to the new company so all of the familiar names and columns will continue.
Bonnier is a huge media company based in Sweden. Over the past few years Bonnier has entered the special interest magazine business in the United States and now publishes 49 different titles and operates an even larger number of websites. Bonnier’s magazines range from large circulation titles such as Popular Science and Field & Stream to niche publications such as WakeBoarding. The company has a big stable of recreational marine magazines including Yachting, Sailing World and Motor Boating.
Flying seems to be a good fit for Bonnier’s business plan, which is to focus on special interests. Hachette, on the other hand, wanted out of the category in order to focus more tightly on its flagship women’s brands such as Elle and Woman’s Day.
This is the fourth time in its 82-year history that Flying has changed ownership, and in my nearly 33 years at the magazine I have been there for all of them. Moving the office-which will stay in New York-and adapting to a new company’s procedures is always at least a little disruptive. But I believe that you, Flying‘s loyal reader, will see nothing but improvements. Bonnier promises to invest in Flying and I promise that we will continue our mission to inform, educate and entertain anyone who is a pilot, or wants to become one. And we will still be flying at Flying to stay abreast of what is happening in the diverse world of general aviation and business flying.
