Tag Archives: Private Aviation News

Operator SevenJet Adding Multiple Piaggios to Charter, Revives Fractional Avanti Service

U.S. charter operator SevenJet announced the addition of three more Avanti Piaggio turboprops – with still 2 more in conformity coming online soon – making eight total they will operate under Part-135, offering jet cards and on-demand charter.

SevenJet has started a fractional program for Piaggio Avantis at its base in St. Petersburg, Fla., using both former employees and aircraft from bankrupt Avantair. Notably, this marks the return of a fractional program for the Italian twin turboprop since Avantair, which also was based in St. Petersburg, ceased operations in June 2013.

The entire SevenJet fleet nationwide with aircraft/operator details are available ONLY in FlightList PRO.

“The Avanti is a great aircraft thanks to its jet-like midsize cabin and speed combined with turboprop economics,” SevenJet president Chuck White told AIN.

White, a former vice president at Avantair, said that the company specifically chose St. Peterburg as the base for its six Avantis—all former Avantair airframes—since there is still a good pilot base for the aircraft there. Paul Woodard, the head of sales at SevenJet and a former customer service director at Avantair, rounds out the company’s leadership team.

“We’re only operating east of the Mississippi for now, as we don’t want to become over-extended like Avantair did when it pushed westward,” he said. SevenJet is operating the Avantis under Part 135 rules and is offering jet cards and charter service in the aircraft. The company’s fleet includes four Beechjets based in Salt Lake City.

SevenJet is a subsidiary of C&L Aviation Group, an aviation maintenance, parts and support based in Bangor, Maine. C&L also maintain’s SevenJet’s fleet.

Source:  AINonline and SevenJet

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Texas Aviation Start-Up Rise Adds Crowd Sourcing of Private Flights

By Mary Grady, Robb Report, May 10, 2016AdTech Ad

The private-flight service Rise, based in Dallas and launched last year, does not own any airplanes but has created a system to help travelers “crowd source” a charter flight aboard eight-seat Beechcraft King Air 350 twin turboprops.

A Rise Beechcraft King Air 350

With Rise, users pay a $750 deposit and a monthly fee starting at $1,650 for unlimited flights between five Texas cities. The flights are reserved online and scheduled on demand. Multiple users filling up the empty seats on the private plane effectively crowd source each trip and lower the cost compared to a traditional whole-aircraft charter. The company estimates that each private flight saves a traveler 3 hours round-trip compared to commercial flying or driving. Passengers board minutes before takeoff at general-aviation terminals equipped with free Wi-Fi, snacks, a comfortable lobby, free parking, and a bespoke concierge—saving time and energy compared to the main passenger terminals.

8-passenger interior of Rise’s Beechcraft King Air 350 aircraft

To date, Rise operates 60 flights per week between the Dallas, Houston, Austin, and Midland airports, but the company says they will expand to six more cities, in Texas and beyond, this year. The company also recently added a new feature, Rise Anywhere, that enables members to crowd source a flight to select destinations including New Orleans, Aspen, and Telluride.

Rise partners with charter flight companies to ensure members will have access to planes, pilots and flights.  The Rise-branded King Air is operated by Monarch Air, a Part 135 charter operator based at Dallas’ Addison Airport.

Source: Article in Robb Report online

Other Charter Alerts about Rise:
All-You-Can-Fly ‘Rise’ Startup Nearly Doubles Texas Flights – Expands Cities
Texas’ All-you-can fly Rise Adds More to Fly
Private Jet Membership Set To Take Off In 2016

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Charter Operators Say Business Booming: “This is a tremendous time to be in aviation”

Tradewind Aviation

Tradewind Aviation

– A chorus of charter executives in the private aviation industry say business is booming due to several factors –  “This is a tremendous time to be in aviation,” according to Cory Rossi, who, with his wife, Shari, owns Eagle Air, a charter operator based at Westchester County Airport (HPN) in White Plains.

By Dave Donelson, Westchester Magazine, 5/10/16

“It’s a very large business in this area,” says Linda Schiavone, charter sales manager for White Cloud Charter, which is also based at HPN. “Just think about the number of major corporations and wealthy individuals; this is the area for it.” According to Rossi, HPN is the third-busiest airport in the country in terms of non-airline flights. Only Teterboro Airport in New Jersey and Van Nuys Airport in California boast more private traffic.

According to the FAA, there were about 125,000 charter, air taxi, and private flights at HPN in 2014, which represented 82 percent of the total takeoffs and landings there. What’s more, they carried more passengers than did the scheduled airlines.

It’s not hard to see why private aviation is growing in popularity: Anyone who suffers the agitation of flying commercial from LaGuardia Airport (LGA)—which Vice President Joseph Biden once described as reminiscent of something in a Third World country—could attest to that. Much the same holds true for JFK and Newark. “The all-day hassle with a two-hour flight in-between is becoming more and more common,” Rossi points out. “Our clientele recognizes this and says: ‘First class isn’t at the level it once was.’”

Eagle’s customers, like those of other charter companies we spoke with, experience something entirely different. Rossi describes the charter experience like this: “Let’s say you live within a 20-minute drive to Westchester airport. Your car drives right on the tarmac to the aircraft; the red carpet is rolled out; your catering is on board; and you have WiFi on the plane. The ground crew will handle your bags and park your car, and the plane will depart within 10 minutes of boarding. At your destination, you will have the same experience on the ground.” Sure, it costs more, but what is your time and comfort worth?

The private-aviation business isn’t monolithic. Some companies, like White Cloud, charter only their own planes, which are also at the (occasional) call of the company’s corporate parent, Conair Corporation. Others, like Aircraft Services Group, operate and manage planes owned by others, providing everything from crews to maintenance, as well as charter service for the aircraft, much like a vacation-home owner who rents out a condo when they’re not using it. Eagle Air does both, as does Tradewind Aviation, which is based in Oxford, Connecticut, but offers flights from HPN.

Eagle Air

Then, there are strictly private planes owned by individuals and corporations for their own use. They, along with the charter operators, support another big part of the business, fixed-base operators. FBOs, as they are known, provide hangars, fuel, and on-site maintenance, as well as ground amenities like passenger lobbies, parking, and rental cars, to planes going and coming through the airport. HPN has five FBO facilities.

Tradewind, meanwhile, serves yet another part of the market. “We’re best known for our Nantucket shuttle,” explains Tradewind president Eric Zipkin. “It is a shared charter, where people buy individual seats on the flights.” The service started with Friday-through-Sunday flights only but has grown to seven days a week. They fly a similar service to Boston and Martha’s Vineyard. The scheduled service is a good business on its own, Zipkin says, but it also serves another purpose: “Our shuttle service is a good marketing concept because people learn about us, then come back and charter individual flights.”

Tradewind operates 18 aircraft, up from 12 just two years ago. The company owns 11 planes, with the balance owned by others. “Our business was up almost 30 percent in 2015, and it’s full steam ahead for this year,” Zipkin says. “Margins in this business run the gamut. Boutique aircraft management companies like ours are in the 20- to 30-percent range. It’s also a high-risk business: If you lose management of an aircraft or two, there goes your profit.”

White Plains-based Wings Air Helicopters represents yet another variety of local private aviation: helicopter service. Wings’ president, Javier Diaz, says his five helicopters serve three distinct markets, including personal travel. “We do up to seven flights a day to the Hamptons,” he says, adding that Saratoga Springs and other locations upstate are popular, too. “We also have a strong business with the Atlantic City casinos, as well as Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods.”

Business travelers take advantage of the versatility and convenience of helicopter service, especially out of Manhattan. “If you want to fly from NYC to Pittsburgh,” Diaz points out, “all you have to do is go to one of the heliports, and you’ll be in the air 90 minutes before you could even get on an airplane from LGA.” About 65 percent of his passengers fly from one of the three heliports in Manhattan. Then there is the aerial-movie-and-photography business, which is so good, Diaz is a member of the Screen Actors Guild.

“As people become busier and wealthier,” Diaz says, “their time becomes more valuable. They need to get to places ‘now,’ and that’s why the demand [for private aviation] is good. The demand will be there for the foreseeable future.”

Speaking of the future, does it hold tailwinds or headwinds for the private-aviation industry? Not surprisingly, regulation and technology may well be the determining factors. Google “air charter Westchester,” and you’ll get about 154,000 results. Almost all of them are for charter brokers—unregulated companies that don’t own, fly, or manage planes and may not even have an office. Brokers aren’t new, but their numbers mushroomed as instant worldwide communication enabled anyone with a cell phone and email address to open shop. Good ones, who can be reached 24/7 and have strong relationships with the charter companies, add value to the experience for both their customers and the airplane owners—but it pays to shop around.

A wave of new private-air-service concepts is rising along with demand in the market. As with anything new, some succeed and others don’t. Beacon Air debuted a Netflix-like subscription service in which passengers paid a flat monthly fee for unlimited flights from HPN to Boston last year, but it has already ceased operations.

ImagineAir, headquartered in Atlanta, started service in 2007 and entered the Westchester market two years ago. Its concept? On-demand private jet service at sharply reduced rates. Its service is aimed at business travelers who might be tempted to drive to their destinations. “We basically turn a three- to eight-hour drive into a one- to two-hour flight,” says President and CEO Ben Hamilton, who adds, “Our average price point is around $1,200, whereas a private jet might be $7,500.”

ImagineAir is able to offer the service because they fly a fleet of Cirrus SR22s, a three-passenger craft that’s very efficient, Hamilton explains. “We do mostly business trips, and the majority of them are three people or fewer. We have enough scale in our fleet of 11 aircraft to mix and match flights and fill dead legs, passing those savings on to the customer.” The company also handles bookings online rather than through a call center and, like a scheduled airline, uses demand-pricing models. “Our average customer books about four days in advance. You can book the same day if it’s available, but the price gets a little more expensive as the time gets closer,” Hamilton explains.

Any number of companies have been hailed as the “Uber of private aviation,” although none have (or probably will) been able to get past the FAA prohibition against selling seats in personal planes flown by amateur pilots. The safety requirements that charter operators have to meet are a major factor. That’s not to say there aren’t companies getting closer. “There are companies who have partnered to market empty seats,” White Cloud’s Schiavone points out. “If you’re in Chicago and want to get back to White Plains, there’s an app for that now. If there’s an aircraft flying empty on a leg, it just makes sense.”

Blue Star Jets, a NYC-based jet broker, recently launched an app that includes 24/7 personal telephone contact, to follow-up on the booking you make on your smartphone. Their business is designed to fill the 30 percent of business aircraft they estimate fly empty to or from their charter destination. The company claims that within four hours of booking a flight, you’ll be in the air.

Still, the industry does face some headwinds. “The uncertainty of the regulatory environment is a long-term obstacle,” Zipkin explains. Potential changes in security procedures, for example, could put a crimp in the private-aircraft experience. “We have internal security, but not the stand-in-line, take-your-shoes-off type of thing,” he says.

Another problem area is a shortage of pilots, according to Zipkin. “The FAA changed the rules for airline requirements for copilots, and that has had a ripple effect throughout the industry,” he says. “We used to pay twice what an entry-level airline pilot would make, because we wanted to attract the best candidates. The airline had trouble filling those seats, so they started raising their pay, which has set off a sort of race.”

Rossi adds one more industry-wide threat: budget constraints on air-traffic control. “The federal government has threatened to shut down operations at a number of small airports around the country,” he says. The ability of private-flight passengers to land at small airports, like Hilton Head Island Airport instead of Savannah International, is a big attraction for the business. “I’d hate to see that becoming a limiting factor on growth of the industry,” Rossi notes.

Overall, however, the private-aviation business in Westchester is strong. As Zipkin says, “The challenges we face are those faced by any business that’s growing. Our product has been very well received, and the market is growing here, so it’s onward and upward.”

Source:  Article in Westchester Magazine online

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“Top 150 Empty Legs” Nationwide Listed by New Flight Charters

Source:  Company Press Release

All types of empty leg charters –  business turboprops through long range jets – available throughout the U.S.

New Flight Charters announced today that it is making available over 150 jet charter empty legs focused on the top private jet destinations nationwide.

These empty legs are available across the country, and are created when an aircraft needs to move for one reason or another, such as to pick up its owner, or returning home from a factory servicing, or returning to base after a charter flight.

This need to move the aircraft can result in low point-to-point pricing, and can be the absolute best values in private jet charter.

For example, a typical empty leg can be booked at around 50% the cost of a regular jet charter.

Currently, a Los Angeles to Las Vegas empty leg in a Beechjet 400A seating 8, lists at $2,900. While, a normal charter rate for this routing is around $6,000.

Click to view the complete list of available empty legs.

“The most common misperception is that empty legs are available between only those cities or airports listed,” said Rick Colson, President of New Flight Charters.

“Empty legs are usually listed as between two certain airports or cities because this is actually the departing and arrival points the aircraft is going, “he added.

“However, a charter can be flown anywhere along that very general route and direction. For example with a empty leg listed from Scottsdale, AZ to Philadelphia, PA, the aircraft can fly a charter from Los Angeles to New York at a discounted one-way price,” said Colson.

One-way charters may have a special cancellation clause because of their price advantage and their need to arrive at the other end.

The aircraft may have a charter booked after the current one-way, which is dependent on it being in that vicinity.

At any given time, hundreds of empty legs are scheduled in the jet charter industry.  New Flight Charters has culled them to 150 of the most popular destinations.  Any other destinations and routings can be searched by request.

Generally speaking floating fleet aircraft have a standard cancellation policy and true empty leg charters are non-cancelable upon booking.

Visit the nationwide empty legs list at NewFlightCharters.com or the specialty location Denver Jet Charter or Colorado Empty Legs for Denver, Aspen and other Colorado private jet charters.

Source:  Company press release

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Broker and Membership Company BlackJet “Abruptly” Ceasing Operations

 

Fortune.com May 5, 2016:

BlackJet, an on-demand private jet service created by Uber co-founder and chairman Garrett Camp, yesterday informed members that it is “abruptly” ceasing operations.

The Florida-based company was launched in 2012, with the financial backing of venture capital firms (including First Round Capital and CrunchFund), tech executives (including Mark Benioff and Matt Mullenweg) and celebrities (including Ashton Kutcher, Jay-Z, and Will Smith).

The idea was basically to be Uber for the jet-set, eventually settling into a membership model whereby people paid an annual fee in exchange for access to a network of private jets on which they could book seats. But there were numerous hiccups (including layoffs and a prior service suspension), largely due to capital constraints that seem to have persisted. During the reorganization, Camp was among those who moved on (and gave up his investment).

In fact, TechCrunch inaccurately reported last month that the company had shut down, an incident that BlackJet CEO Dean Rotchin appears to have cited among the reasons for today’s decision (the story was later updated with a correction). A bigger one, however, was financing.

“We probably did more with less than anyone but it’s a critical mass business… There’s a reason why ‘critical’ is part of ‘critical mass,’” Rotchin tells Fortune. “The members were super supportive, the VCs wanted to see our progress continue over a longer period prior to jumping in. There are some aggressive interesting models out there today, someone will make this work.”

Below is Rotchin’s full email to members:

Dear Member:

It is with great regret and personal disappointment that I need to report the following.
Recent events have resulted in abruptly ceasing BlackJet operations.

In the last few days, there was some inaccurate bad press that stunted membership sales, a critical team member stepped down unexpectedly, near-term and longer term financing opportunities were delayed, and it became impossible to continue.

I personally appreciate the amazing support from most of our members. Perhaps I did not do a good enough job of reinforcing the fact that the membership was the key to the ability to deliver the service. Some members were so supportive, and I feel it is important to highlight this aspect because it became evident how most members tried to be as helpful, flexible and cooperative as possible. This was and is very much appreciated.

We are widely considered the pioneers in this field, and we know someone will leverage our learning and crack the code for making the private airfields and private jet fleet affordable and accessible as a part of the US transportation system. Your vision and involvement as early adopters helped to progress this ideal closer to fruition.

Please accept my thanks for your support, and also my sincere apologies for the inconvenience and disappointment this causes.

Sincerely,
Dean

Source:  Fortune online article May 5, 2016

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Burning Man Contracting Charter Services Beginning 2016

Editor’s note – Private charter companies highlighted below, and charter airline proposals noted – 

Burning Man has its eye on the sky.

In an effort to get more Burners to fly to the 70,000-person event in the middle of the Black Rock Desert, organizers have been reviewing proposals from air carrier services that would start offering flights directly to the playa this year.

Charter companies and private pilots have been flying to the event — an annual, weeklong arts party in early September — since the late 1990s. This, however, would be the first time that the Burning Man organization would contract a company, or a few, to do the job. Additionally, instead of shuttling five or so people, contracted charters would be expected to shuttle about 30 people in an aircraft at one time. Flights would potentially depart from Reno, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

While Burning Man organizers were set to decide in early April which company or companies would be contracted, there is still no word as to whether any contracts will go forward this year. Burning Man has released no details as to which companies submitted proposals before the late February response deadline.

Covered with playa dust, Brielle Gearson, left, and Dina Nadezhdina wait to check-in for their flight home to Los Angeles Monday morning. Their baggage is wrapped in mandatory plastic because the playa dust can clog the conveyor system. An estimated 17,000 Burners utilized the airport from 30 countries, making it the largest single-event driver of traffic at R-TI.

Covered with playa dust, Brielle Gearson, left, and Dina Nadezhdina wait to check-in for their flight home to Los Angeles Monday morning. Their baggage is wrapped in mandatory plastic because the playa dust can clog the conveyor system. An estimated 17,000 Burners utilized the airport from 30 countries, making it the largest single-event driver of traffic at R-TI.  Tim Dunn/RGJ

“We are still working through the (request for proposals) process and will announce details of the program as soon as they are finalized,” said Burning Man spokesman Jim Graham on Wednesday.

The contracted charters would fly from select cities directly to 88NV, the temporary airport that is set up during the week of Burning Man outside the perimeter of Black Rock City, where the Burning Man populace resides. About 2,200 people flew into the makeshift airport last year.

Charters and private pilots still will be allowed to fly in friends or other individuals free of charge if they want, but they cannot be “shuttling” people back and forth, unless they are doing so as authorized by a contract with Burning Man.

While many of the charter companies that have historically shuttled Burners to and from the event have been mum regarding any anxiety about how their business might be affected, the Reno-Tahoe International Airport expressed its enthusiasm for the change of pace. In the past two or three years, the Reno-Tahoe International Airport has seen an uptick in charter flights departing from its tarmac Burning Man-bound, according to airport spokesman Brian Kulpin.

“We are so firmly on the map of Burning Man. We love what it does for us. We really roll out the red carpet,” said Kulpin.

Although airport officials were unaware of Burning Man’s plans to increase the air traffic headed to Burning Man, they believe it is makes sense given the rising demand for easier travel to the event. It takes about two hours by car to drive from Reno to the Black Rock Desert, which is northeast of Reno, but it can take as many as six to 10 hours during peak traffic in the first few days of Burning Man.

By air, it only takes about an hour to travel the less than 100 miles to the Black Rock Desert, Kulpin said. That explains why three charter flight companies and a multitude of privately operated aircraft directed flights to Burning Man from the Reno-Tahoe International Airport in 2015. While there is no count of how many flights took off to the Burn, 111,737 gallons of jet fuel were sold to charter and private operators during the 2015 event, compared to 67,317 gallons during the same week in 2014.

“People fly in from Europe, then to New York, and then they fly here to our terminal and then they get a private charter. And then we just have charters that just appeal to people who don’t want to deal with the road traffic. The VIPs are another audience too, and that’s becoming more popular,” Kulpin said.

Many of the charters that fly to Burning Man — Advantage Flight, Burner Air and Boutique Air — declined to comment on concerns about whether their business would be damaged if not chosen by Burning Man to operate flights this year.

One of the companies, Palo Alto, Calif.-based Centurion, said it’s simply a waiting game.

“Burning Man is our big one. We’re going to start doing Coachella next year, but Burning Man is like the Superbowl for us,” said Jack Boyer, a customer service representative with Centurion.

Centurion, which has been flying clients to the playa for about 13 years, in the past has flown about 10 to 12 flights per day to the playa during Burning Man. For the most part they fly out of the Bay Area, but they will fly out of “wherever the clients are,” the week of, Boyer said.

“We get all walks of life. We get folks that are flying in to San Francisco from Russia, and then we get regulars,” he said.

Per person, Centurion sells roundtrip tickets to Burning Man that can cost several hundred dollars to fly from Reno, about $800 from Sacramento about about $1,350 from the Bay Area. Their prices compete with an assortment of other charters, some of which do not have prices currently posted pending Burning Man’s response to proposals. 

“I think the newest info is in the pipeline,” Boyer said.

Burning Man is assessing the proposals based on a variety of elements.

Applicants — who were required to complete proposals by the end of February — have to have the appropriate certification along with a $5 million insurance policy for their proposed operation.

Burning Man also asked that charters have the ability to fly up to 30 people in one aircraft; to transport 1,000 passengers per day with no more than 200 landings in an 11.5 hour period daily and to offer departures from Reno, San Francisco and Los Angeles with room for expansion from other locations if demand occurs. Ideally, charters should have experience with and proposals for ticket and scheduling systems, according to the Burning Man request. It is unclear whether the charters or Burning Man would handle the ticketing for flights to and from the playa.

Source:  , jkane@rgj.com, Reno Gazette-Journal 1:14 p.m. PDT April 29, 2016

Full Article Here

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Flight Options Preps Move To Charter Operations

Flight Options moved forward on Friday with an offer of voluntary separation packages to its pilots as the company lays the groundwork to transform from a fractional operation into an on-demand charter business over the next 12 to 18 months. Flight Options sister operation Flexjet previously made the offer as the two companies begin to reshape their operations, retiring some of the older modelaircraft and moving others into charter.

SkyjetFlight Options will rebrand as Skyjet, a former Bombardier brand that parent company Directional Aviation recently revived to provide charter brokerage services.

The moves are made as parent company Directional Aviation realigns its more recently acquired Flexjet and Flight Options into complementary services rather than competitors. To help differentiate itself as a planned charter-only entity, Flight Options will rebrand as Skyjet, a former Bombardier brand that Directional initially revived in 2014 to provide charter brokerage services.

Voluntary separation packages are being offered to Flight Options pilots through April 30 as the companies seek to reduce the pilot workforce by 70 positions. Directional principal and Flight Options chairman Kenn Ricci told Aviation International News that this comes as on-demand requires less staffing than fractional. The packages were initially offered to Flexjet pilots, who recently voted for representation by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) but were not yet under a collective bargaining agreement.

Flight Options, which previously had been represented by the IBT, sought union approval to make the offer to its pilots, but the union rejected the request. Flight Options moved forward regardless, and between Flexjet and Flight Options, had 80 pilots indicate plans to accept the agreements—exceeding the company’s goal.

The union has, instead, been pushing for a furlough protection plan that would give all furloughed pilots the equivalent of 12 months of compensation. The IBT had expressed concerns that the voluntary program would primarily affect less senior pilots who would not qualify for the maximum benefit.

The company management, however, disagreed with the IBT stance. “I refuse to accept the notion that a pilot, under the employ of this company, does not have the right to decide his or her own future,” Ricci said in announcing plans to move forward with the voluntary package offers. “It is unconscionable that the Teamsters should unilaterally try to take away a voluntary and materially beneficial option.”

Source:  AINonline, by Kerry Lynch

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Wheels Up Expands Flight Offerings, Partners With Broker Apollo Jets

Wheels up

Wheels Up dedicated fleet of King Air 350 and Citation Excel aircraft, operated by Gama Aviation.  Photo: Wheels Up

Private aviation membership company Wheels Up announced new product offerings and the launch of a new 8760 Membership tier, both of which enhance the Wheels Up brand, according to a press release from the company.

“Wheels Up is a forward-thinking company always looking to be ahead of the curve and we are committed to delivering innovation to our membership,” said Kenny Dichter, Wheels Up Founder and CEO. “Our members tell us what they want and how they want it. Our mission is to simplify their travel in a complex world.”

New Wheels Up Membership Features:

  • Shuttles: the opportunity for members to purchase seats on scheduled private shuttles traveling to and from popular events and destinations.
  • Hot Flights: a selection of one-way, “empty-leg” flights that are posted daily to the Wheels Up App and updated in real-time.  According to Dichter, “This feature has taken off and our members tell us that they now check Wheels Up Hot Flights before Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat.”
  • Flight Desk for charter flights: a dedicated flight desk with offerings to complement the Wheels Up signature fleet of Beechcraft King Air 350i and Citation Excel/XLS aircraft. Wheels Up Flight Desk arranges charter flights for members who are traveling longer ranges, with more than eight passengers and/or desire a larger plane. Wheels Up requires stringent safety standards, working only with FAA and DOT licensed operators who pass a full onsite audit. “With this addition, Wheels Up is now a total private aviation solution and can fulfill any request, continued Dichter.
  • 8760 Experiences: a new unique lineup of experiences available to Wheels Up Members that include private “meet-and-greet” opportunities with top athletes and entertainers, as well as complimentary tickets and suite access to world-class sporting events, in-demand concerts and family shows in cities across the country. “This is a new roster of events available to our members, in addition to our Wheels Down roster of events, which we offer. We are building a lifestyle brand and we want to be in our members’ lives both in the air and on the ground,” Dichter added.

8760 Membership Tier

Wheels Up launched the new 8760 Membership which allows its members a lower cost of entry through a partnership with charter broker Apollo Jets, and access to multiple benefits: Wheels Up Ride Share, Hot Flights and Flight Desk programs; non-guaranteed access to the Wheels Up fleet at higher occupied hourly rates; a lineup of 8760 Experiences, select Wheels Down events, a member benefits program; a members only 8760 app.

“8760 Membership creates the opportunity for more people to join Wheels Up and is a benefit to existing Wheels Up Members specifically for ride-sharing.” said Dichter.

Memberships are also available from Costco; Wheels Up membership price.

With Gama Aviation, operating its flights, the Wheels Up fleet numbers 45 Beechcraft King Air 350i twin turboprops and 15 Cessna Citation Excel/XLS jets. As of April 2016 Wheels Up is reporting 2,300 members.

Source: company press release

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Nationwide Private Jet Charter Service Celebrates Twelve Years Growth, Milestones In Charter Flight Industry

Large Selection, Best Price Guarantee and Industry Reputation Propel Jet Charter Favorite New Flight Charters

U.S. private jet charter leader New Flight Charters this month celebrates its 12th anniversary and record growth, arranging and providing charter flights in the US and worldwide, according to a press release from the company.

Since the company was founded in 2004, the private jet charter industry has experienced tumultuous ups and downs, just in recent times appearing to be confidently climbing out following the 2008 recession.

Private Jet Charter Company Best Ratings Reviews

Private jet charter flight company New Flight Charters, celebrating 12 years growth in 2016

During this time, charter flight company New Flight Charters was growing and profitable 11 of the 12 years, including being awarded to the Inc.500 fastest growing companies list every year from 2009 to 2012, a testament to its service level and returning customers.

Different from most air charter brokerages whose key personnel come from sales jobs outside of aviation, New Flight Charters’ founders had a history in private aviation and were active private and commercial pilots.

“Coming from a background of flight operations and being the one responsible for the customer experience and service, we look at arranging charters quite differently than most,” states Rick Colson, New Flight Charters’ Founder and President, “It’s about the experience, trust and reputation.”

Now with a Charter Management Senior Team of six and a cumulative 46 years in air charter, 51 years FAA-certified experience, 104 years executive management experience and over 17,500 hours personal flight experience, New Flight Charters boasts one of the most experienced and respected teams in the industry.  The company arranges over 1,400 flights each year.

“The largest number of compliments we receive are about our people,” Colson adds.

New Flight Charters has good reason to celebrate;  not only twelve years of consistent growth and success, but recognition as a favorite in the industry and as an air charter role model.

Company Milestones:

  • 2005 Qualified as Registered U.S. Government Contractor, qualified and accepted to the CCR-Central Contractor Registry and SAM-System Award Management.
  • 2006 Awarded Credit Rating by D&B, Dun & Bradstreet, the world’s leading provider of business information for credit, marketing and sales decisions worldwide.  New Flight Charters’ rating and company details are available publicly through D&B online at www.dnb.com.
  • 2008 Began aircraft ownership and management, placed on a charter operator’s certificate and separately operating it under FAR Part-91 for business.
  • 2009 Launches Best Price Guarantee, assuring New Flight Charters fliers receive the best price in the total market for each and every flight.
  • 2009-2012 Achieves the Inc. 500|5000 fastest growing list four consecutive years, earning the distinction of fastest growing private jet service nationwide.
  • 2010 Publishes Five Questions For Your Air Charter Service, to help private fliers manage risks and ensure a quality and reputable organization is handling their private charter flight.
  • 2011 First in the industry to provide a Company Credentials Report, or anything like it, providing company history, financial, personnel and business credentials to charter industry partners, vendors and clients for review and evaluation.
  • 2011 Passes audit examination by the IRS Excise Tax Division, no changes ordered.
  • 2011-2012 The Most Recommended Jet Charter Service in the world’s largest charter marketplace.  Air charter professionals, operators and brokers publicly recommend charter companies in the market and post comments on their service, history and experiences.
  • 2012-2014 Testing and proving company for groundbreaking industry resource FlightList PRO, featuring the only complete air charter listing directory in the U.S. and 131 countries worldwide.
  • 2013 New Flight Charters’ Five Questions For Your Air Charter Service is adopted and published by The Air Charter Safety Foundation based in Washington D.C. as a consumer guide to chartering an aircraft and made available as a free download at ACSF.org.
  • 2013 launches the free Club New Flight, with special member charter discounts, complimentary ground transportation and custom catering, and advance information on empty legs special pricing and new charter aircraft.
  • 2014 Celebrates Ten Year Anniversary as leading private jet charter company, offers special discounts, promotions and free flight concierge experiences.
  • 2015 Achieves 14% growth year over year, more than quadruples total industry trend numbers of 2.9%.
  • 2016 Awarded Better Business Bureau Accreditation, A+ rating. Rating based on 13 factors and no negative information since BBB’s New Flight Charters file opened in 2011.

About New Flight Charters
New Flight Charters arranges over 1,400 separate domestic and international flights each year, with top-rated operator aircraft at leading jet charter rates.  Extensive client and industry reviews are available on the New Flight Charters website.  The private jet charter company serves a wide variety of clientele including Fortune 500 companies, government heads of state, presidential campaigns, entertainment icons, private families and entrepreneurs.  For charter quotes, information or the latest updates, call (800) 732-1653 or visit NewFlightCharters.com nationwide or new specialty location Denver Jet Charter for Denver, Aspen and other Colorado private jet charters.

Source: New Flight Charters press release

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Startup Company Member Jets Crowdsources Private Flights To Cut Costs, Save Time

By: Bobby Burch  – Startland.com – 

Overland Park startup Member Jets crowdsources private flights to cut costs, save time

Member Jets CEO Ty Carter

An Overland Park, KS tech firm is bringing charter flights to the masses with its crowdsourcing platform that reduces the costs to fly in swanky private jets.

Founded in 2015, Member Jets created a private aviation community that connects travelers to discounted private flights by aggregating available seats and travel opportunities. Now used at Kansas City’s Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport and the Johnson County Executive Airport, Member Jets is accepting members for its club, which targets businesses and entrepreneurs that highly value their time.

“We’re trying to create a trading environment for aviation,” Member Jets CEO Ty Carter said. “We bring the price point down so you’re not buying an entire airplane — you buy a seat like you would on a commercial airline. But instead of a commercial flight, you’re on a private jet without all the hassles.”

To use the service, a would-be traveler buys a Member Jets membership and creates a profile, indicating preferences and frequent domestic destinations. For safety, the user also must go through a background check and be in good standing with the TSA.

A member can then search, request, select, book and, if desired, share the aircraft with other members, driving down costs.The platform also can notify users of travel opportunities to a desired locale.

A pilot for more than 25 years, Carter said that Member Jets not only reduces private flight costs but also drastically cuts down on travel time when compared to a commercial flight. In addition to skipping security and check-in lines and the option to park on a nearby tarmac, private flights are direct to the desired location.

For example, Carter said that Member Jets can cut off about five hours of travel time on a round trip flight to Denver, six hours to New York City and eight hours to Los Angeles.

And in a world where time is money, Carter said the efficiencies are significant to a business’s bottom line.

“For an entrepreneur whose time is extremely valuable — every minute is important,” Carter said. “Standing in line at airports and the commercial hassles are not efficient. … I’ve seen the advantages of what private air allows you to do — it’s like a time capsule. Your productivity is much higher.”

While still more expensive when compared to commercial flights, Carter said Member Jets’ flights are cheaper than chartering an entire plane. For example, a private one-way flight to Austin, Texas costs about $800 for a 1-hour-and-40-minute flight.

The company is currently only operating out of the Kansas City area but is looking to expand to Denver and Atlanta. Some of its common destinations include St. Louis, Omaha, Dallas, Oklahoma City, Austin, Cincinnati, Atlanta, Wichita, New York City, Denver and other.

Image by Member jets

Image by Member jets

Source:  STARTLAND-Kansas City’s Home For Innovation News

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Blue Star Jets Fades to Black, Charter Broker Going Out Of Business

News article in New York’s Page Six Magazine | April 14, 2016 | 7:15am, By Richard Johnson:

Blue Star Jets is fading to black.

The private-jet-chartering company — named after the airline in the 1987 film “Wall Street” — is quietly going out of business after 16 years.

Todd Rome, Blue Star’s president, is now working with his bigger former rival, Apollo Jets. Ricky Sitomer, Blue Star’s CEO who co-founded the company with Rome, is “doing his own thing,” Rome said.

Blue Star, which sponsored Bridgehampton Polo for five summers and advertised in upscale magazines, will disappear.

“The more volume you do, the better pricing you get,” Rome told me. “We feel our efforts combined will take over this industry.”

Apollo was founded by Al Palagonia, the handsome pal of Spike Lee who once did time for pump-and-dump stock fraud schemes.

Source:  Page Six article,  April 14, 2016, By Richard Johnson

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Top-10 FBO’s in America, Also AIN 2016 Full Survey Results –

Air Flite ramp shot
Air Flite took the top spot in AIN’s 2016 FBO survey. (Photo: Air Flite)

AirFlite, the Toyota-owned aviation service provider at Los Angeles-area Long Beach Airport/Daugherty Field, was once again rated as the top FBO in the Americas by readers in AIN‘s annual FBO Survey.

This year, as the survey transitions to a year-round, rolling review process from a single period during the year when ratings are accepted, it tallied results earned by locations over the past four years, and during that span, the California FBO earned a 4.84 out of a maximum five (from the previous 1-to-10 scale), garnering survey-high scores in the categories of passenger and pilot amenities. It barely edged out the Tampa International Jet Center, which notched top scores for its facility and for its line service.

The top 10, in order, were:

  1. AirFlite at Los Angeles-area Long Beach Airport/Daugherty Field
  2. Black Canyon Jet Center at Montrose Regional Airport in Montrose, Colo.
  3. J.A. Air Center at Chicago-area Aurora Municipal Airport
  4. Atlantic Aviation at Kansas City Charles B. Wheeler Airport
  5. Fargo Jet Center at Hector (N.D.) International Airport
  6. XJet at Denver Centennial Airport
  7. Banyan Air Service at Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Executive
  8. Jet Aviation at Fort Lauderdale Executive and Palm Beach (Fla.) International Airports
  9. Skyservice Toronto at Detroit Oakland Country International Airport
  10. Pentastar Aviation also at Detroit Oakland Country International Airport

View full 2016 FBO Survey results

Source: AIN online

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Flexjet, Flight Options Adjust, Moving Light & Mid Jets Into On-Demand Charter

Flexjet is offering voluntary separation agreements to its pilots as the company begins to phase out certain aircraft models and shift others from fractional ownership into charter. The company further is requesting approval to make a similar offer to pilots at affiliate operation Flight Options.

In a March 31 letter to pilots, Jason Weiss, Flexjet executive v-p of operations, outlined plans to retire the Learjet 40XR and Challenger 604/605 fleets and move the Nextant 400XT and Citation X out of the fractional business model into on-demand. “Our companies have seen a significant shift in the fractional marketplace over the past year and a half,” Flexjet said in a statement to Aviation International News. “While customer demand has historically been high in the light- and midsize-cabin segments, much of it has since shifted to on-demand flying.” At the same time, the growth in the fractional programs has trended toward larger, longer-range aircraft.

The company has not determined the actual number of pilots that will be needed once the fleet adjustments are made, but acknowledges fewer pilots will be required for fractional operations. It has begun by offering voluntary separation agreements that range from six months to a year of salary and other benefits. Flexjet believes the program will take effect over then next 12 to 18 months.

Full news article at AIN here

Source:  AIN

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Five Myths About Private Jets, Charters – USA Today

175px-USA_Today_Logo.svgIf you’ve ever spotted a private jet in flight or on the tarmac, you’ve probably wondered which celebrity it belonged to. The fact is that many jets are chartered, not privately owned by a fat cat or pop star, and they’re mostly used for business, not lavish vacations. It’s a world shrouded in mystery, so here are five myths about private jets.

– By Everett Potter, Special for USA TODAY 3/7/16 –

1. You need to be as rich as Donald Trump to fly in a private jet.

“Yes, it helps if you want to own a Boeing 757 in executive configuration like his, but that is not a reality for 99.9% of the population,” says Mark H. Lefever, president and chief operating officer of Avjet, a broker and adviser.

The answer is “no” if you want to charter.

A round-trip flight in a private jet can cost as little at $6,000, says Kevin O’Leary, president of Jet Advisors, which offers advice on private aviation options. “The typical charter costs for a light jet are $3,000 per hour with a two-hour per day minimum,” O’Leary says.  “This would allow a passenger to fly from New York to Washington, D.C., and back in the same day for about $6,000. A round-trip flight between New York City and Naples, Fla., would likely cost around $30,000.  So if you fill the seven seats typically found in a light jet, that is $4,300 per person. These prices are still higher than the first-class airline tickets but you don’t need to be ‘the Donald’ to afford them.”

Before you reach for your credit card, there are even cheaper deals to be found according to Doug Gollan, editor-in-chief of  DG Amazing Experiences, a newsletter for private jet owners and passengers. Gollan points to JetSuite Suite Deals, which are posted daily and start at around $500.

“Last week for $536 you could have flown the next day from Tyler, Texas, to Dallas,” he says “They post the specials for the next day on their Facebook page.” The company recently began offering private jet flights to Cuba, with one-way prices for up to six passengers for $11,152 from Key West (JetSuite says that it’s the responsibility of each passenger to secure their own permission to travel to Cuba, which is allowed by the U.S. government only under specific approved categories).

“You can also reach out to the multitude of charter brokers who don’t typically own planes but source aircraft that are available for charter, and then get five friends and divide the costs,” Gollan says. “Under these circumstances you might be able to do a Los Angeles to Aspen trip for around $2,500 a head. “

Still interested in owning your own jet? O’Leary says that “the purchase cost can be a little as $500,000 with annual operating costs at an additional $500,000 or more.  The major concern is with unexpected repairs. A major engine repair or scheduled overhaul on just one engine could easily cost $300,000.”

2. If bad weather forces commercial flights to delay or cancel, then private jets have to do so as well. 

Lefever says that this isn’t true. Private jets have the ability to land at many more airports than commercial aircraft and to change flight plans very quickly.

“Private jets have the option of waiting it out or choosing an alternate airport,” he says. “The best example is LAX-SFO, a common flight that has delays due to weather in the Bay Area.”

A private jet, he says, “can file a new flight plan and go to Oakland, which isn’t much farther to downtown San Francisco than the SFO airport,” with minimal delays.

3. Private jets are not as safe as airlines.

“There are various ways to compare the stats, but more passenger fatalities have occurred on scheduled commercial flights than on both charter and private jets” in the last 15 years, says Lefever.

Comparisons of accident rates per hour operated show less of a discrepancy, but the reality is that both are extremely safe and safety is always the No. 1  concern for both, adds Lefever.

Gollan says that “I used to fly regularly on NetJets and my pilots were former 747-400 captains for United Airlines and chief pilots for Fortune 500 companies. Most of the major fleet operators that own and operate their aircraft have spotless records.  Most of the fleet on the charter market is used by the owner and chartered when he or she is not using it, so obviously owners want maintenance and pilots at a high standard.”

4. You might be flying private, but you still have to go through security and deal with the TSA. 

No, you can forget about security lines, taking off your shoes and emptying your pockets. You won’t find metal detectors or body scanners. O’Leary says that often “there is no TSA or pre-flight checks required. The pilots may check the ID of the lead passenger, otherwise you will be loaded and on your way within minutes of arrival at the airport.  At some private airports, you can actually pull your car up to the aircraft, unload and have valet (service for) your car so you could be in the air within minutes.”

5. Commercial airlines fly faster than private jets.

That silver blip sailing by your window on a transcontinental flight? Chances are it’s a private jet.

“The fastest passenger jets in the sky are private, depending on the model of jet flown, “says Lefever. “Private jets also fly above the commercial airlines and a lot of times the weather and turbulence that they incur.“

Some private jets have the ability to fly above the weather up to 51,000 feet and “a couple private jets fly near the speed of sound,” O’Leary says. “The flexibility to fly in and out of smaller airports that are often closer to the departure point and the destination airport makes the actual speed secondary to the private jet’s access to nearly 10 times as many airports in the United States. That makes the door-to-door speed significantly faster when traveling privately.”

Source:  Everett Potter, Special for USA TODAY

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Sun Air Jets and Kim Scolari/Jet Productions Team Up To Launch Film Sun Air

CAMARILLO, CA–(March 02, 2016) –  As part of a collaboration to launch Film Sun Air, Kim Scolari of Jet Productions teams up with Sun Air Jets in Camarillo, California.

Film Sun Air

On Set with Kim Scolari at Sun Air Jets

“I really feel Sun Air Jets is in the perfect position to market not only their jets for static shoots, but also their Van Nuys and Camarillo hangars for the purpose of filming.  Besides having a full fleet of corporate jet aircraft, both facilities include gorgeous state of the art hangar space that makes for the perfect film set,” stated Kim Scolari of Jet Productions.  “Since we started this venture last year, we have filmed some very big projects at the Camarillo facility, including a Hyundai commercial, the TV shows The Bachelor and Big Freedia, as well as a feature film, videos and other projects.”

“We are hoping to spread the word around the aviation community as well. Many operators turn down the filming business because it can be very time consuming and labor intensive.  Sun Air Jets is more than willing to take on the task and appreciate all referrals from our fellow aviation friends.   We have some very exciting projects ahead. As a broker, I am thrilled to offer these services to my own Jet Productions clients as well. A hangar is basically a blank canvas and can become anything a Director desires. It is so exciting to see an empty hangar turn into a movie set or video shoot”

View Sun Air Jets music video on Youtube https://youtu.be/hGmfS1aJ6EM

Sun Air Jets at the Van Nuys and Camarillo Airports offers a full complement of Terminals, Hangars, and an extensive fleet of corporate jet aircraft, which allows us to expertly implement all production needs.   Since 2002, our extensive private aircraft fleet and world-class facility have been seen in numerous national commercials, television productions, feature films, print, and video shoots.

Film Friendly Sun Air Jets handles all aspects of your shoot: from meeting with your location scout, to helping to choose the appropriate aircraft, to assisting with film permits and providing insurance requirements. On the day of the shoot, we will provide a dedicated representative on site to help provide a seamless experience.

For more information call Kim Scolari at Jet Productions 818-781-4742 or she can be reached at Sun Air Jets  (Film Sun Air) 805-389-9336.

Source:  Kim Scolari/Jet Productions press release

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JetSuite Now Approved for Cuba Flights: Valid Reasons for Travel

Travelers with permission to travel to Cuba can now charter a JetSuite Citation CJ3 or Phenom 100 and fly nonstop to Havana from 16 gateway airports in the U.S. One-way prices for the trip (50K JetSuite members) range from $11,152 to $23,675, depending on the departure airport.

All 19 JetSuite charter aircraft and operator details are available in FlightList PRO.

“Our mission continues to revolve around making private air travel accessible to more people than ever before, and offering an unprecedented level of transparency,” said JetSuite CEO Alex Wilcox. “We are thrilled to expand our service to Cuba, a destination I know our clients will be eager to explore.”

Passengers are required to secure permission to travel to Cuba according to 31 CFR § 515.560. Among the valid reasons are official U.S., foreign or nongovernmental organization business; journalistic activity; professional research and meetings; educational or religious activities; public performances, clinics, workshops, athletic and other competitions, and exhibitions; support for the Cuban people; and humanitarian projects. Tourism is not considered a valid reason.

Source:  AIN Online

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Report: Charter, Part-91 Off To Flying Start This Year

Traffic climbed 3 percent in January, and projections call for a 9.1-percent YOY increase this month and a 5-percent rise during the first quarter.

Business aviation flight activity in North America jumped by 3 percent last month versus a year ago and could climb much more steeply this month, according to data released yesterday by aviation services group Argus International.  In fact, the firm is projecting a 9.1-percent year-over-year increase this month and a 5-percent rise during the first quarter, compared with the same three-month period last year.

Part 91 activity was up by 4 percent last month from a year ago, while Part 135 charter activity climbed 2.5 percent and fractional flying slid by 0.2 percent.  The overall retraction in the fractional market obscures decent individual gains; fractional turboprop and light and large-cabin jet flying were up 2.9 percent, 2.2 percent and 5.3 percent, respectively. Fractional midsize jet activity fell 2.8 percent from a year ago.

Article Source:
AIN Online, Aviation International News.

Year-over-year flying activity rose across all aircraft categories last month by 3 percent. This surge was led by turboprops and large-cabin jets, each logging a 5.3-percent gain.  Light jets climbed by 1.7 percent, while midsize jet flying eked out a 0.3-percent improvement. The largest year-over-year gain for an individual segment was Part 135 large-cabin jet flying, which saw a 7.4-percent upturn last month.

Air Charter Alert Editor’s Note –  FlightList PRO released numerous Air Charter Alerts this month of reported increases in 2015 business and flying announced by many US charter companies, including XOJet, Delta Private Jets, New Flight Charters, Key Air and others.

Argus’s TraqPak data logs serial-number-specific aircraft arrival and departure information on all IFR flights in the U.S. and Canada.

Source:  AIN Online

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Private Jet Membership Set To Take Off In 2016

Wheels Up King air 350

Wheels Up King Air 350

Private jet usage is set to take off following the roll out of membership schemes that allow people to make use of jets without owning them.

A survey carried out by industry magazine Corporate Jet Investor found that nearly one in four (23 per cent) said that the growth of membership schemes and online charter is fuelling demand for jets, while companies are becoming increasingly likely to opt for jet membership scheme for business travel.

Rise King Air 200 Flight Service between Dallas, Houston, Austin and Midland Texas

Rise King Air 200

Jet sharing companies such as Wheels Up and Rise are launching a European service in 2016, and plan to be able to fly people the distance from Edinburgh to the south of Spain.

John Colucci head of Wheels Up Europe, told City A.M.: “Corporate customers are excited about it. We have 250 corporate customers in the US compared to around 2000 private members and we want to do more corporate business.”

Wheels Up members have access to an app that allows them to view flights that have already been booked and request a ride share, similar to car hire app Uber’s Pool service.

The industry is shifting as many executive jets are going on the market at knockdown prices following some of the world’s biggest companies scaling back their fleets.

Supermarket Tesco made headlines when it began selling off its fleet of luxury private jets following its accounting scandal and subsequent profit warnings, putting a 14-seater plane up for sale with a price tag of nearly £22m.

Alasdair Whyte, editor of Corporate Jet Investor told City A.M.: “The last six years have been tough for business aviation but there are lots of people trying to grow the market – especially by making it more accessible.”

The survey reveals that over the next three years, 59 per cent expect aircraft sales to increase, compared to 15 per cent who anticipate they will fall.

The US is likely to be one of the strongest markets, with 81 per cent expecting the number of business flights to increase in North America during this period. In Europe, 54 per cent are expecting a rise.

“When you add up the actual cost and the opportunity cost for executives to stand in security queues or get stuck when flights are delayed, flying on a business aircraft can make a lot of sense,” Whyte added.

Another key reason for growth in the sector is the number of so called high net worth individuals is expected to rise over coming years.

Source:  CITY A.M.

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XOJET Announces 2015 Increases; 14% Program Sales, 4% Charter

On-Demand Private Jet Charter Company Exceeds Profitability Projections—

  • xojet41% increase in EBITDA—achieves highest core profitability in company history
  • 14% growth in new program sales and 10% increase in its partner fleet business
  • The San Francisco-based company celebrated its 10 year anniversary in January
  • XOJET will substantially increase reinvestment back into the business, including aircraft cabin refurbishment, office expansions in New York and Southern California and investments in its pilot, client service and advisor workforce

COMPANY PRESS RELEASE (January 27, 2016) – XOJET, Inc., a leader in private jet charter services, announced today that it achieved record results, delivering a 41% increase in EBITDA and a 14% increase in new program sales. XOJET’s on-demand charter model continues to gain momentum as the smart alternative to jet cards and fractional ownership. XOJET was the first to pioneer the on-demand, dynamic pricing model in the private aviation sector, and this month celebrates 10 years of putting passengers first. Now the largest on-demand charter provider in the industry, XOJET continues to gain market share, with retail charter sales up 4% and its partner fleet business up 10% overall. Operational efficiency gains, including fuel savings, drove substantial profitability and margin improvements.

All XOJet aircraft are available in the one-way pricing – Floating Fleets section of FlightList PRO.

“The success of the company this year, and over the past 10 years, comes down to our culture of obsessive client service and dedication to continuous improvement. The market has responded and our company is healthier and more stable than at any point in its history,” said Brad Stewart, chief executive officer of XOJET. “We foresee another 10 years and more of bringing the best that private aviation has to offer to our clients.”

XOJET continued to expand its lifestyle offerings throughout 2015, with the addition of key partners in sports and hospitality. New partners include the NBA Champion Golden State Warriors and IfOnly, a San Francisco-based concierge services firm. The company also continued to invest in established relationships with Yellowstone Club/Discovery Land Company, Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Butterfield & Robinson, a luxury travel and adventure company, and Gavin de Becker & Associates, a private security firm.

Looking to the year ahead, XOJET will refine its product portfolio with a new and improved Elite Access program, offering guaranteed access to its core fleet and select partner fleets with as little as 12 hours’ notice. With enterprise clients in high technology, media and finance, the company is investing in its enterprise sales capabilities and finding new and innovative ways to serve the needs of today’s business flyers. This includes expansion of its sales offices and aviation advisor teams in New York, the San Francisco Bay Area and Southern California. The company also plans to invest in its digital capabilities, both in the user experience and supporting systems, which will make planning and booking flights even easier. “Technology is enabling us to deliver a high touch experience for our clients: in the way we communicate, engage and take care of their needs,” said Shari Jones, chief marketing officer of XOJET.

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Delta Private Jets Reports Record Charter Sales For 2015, 3rd Largest Operator

Delta Private Jets CharterDelta Private Jets is calling 2015 a record year for revenue and jet card and charter sales.
It also reported 34% growth in its managed aircraft fleet last year.

“We started the year with 53 aircraft on our certificate, which grew to 72 by year’s end,” said David Sneed, Delta Private Jets executive vice president and chief operating officer. “This allowed DPJ to become the third largest Part 135 operator in the country in terms of fleet size.”

All 72 Delta Private Jets are available in FlightList PRO.

New jet card sales rose 31% in 2015 when compared to 2014. In addition, “our charter sales were extremely strong as well, with revenue up 56% over the previous year,” Sneed said.

Last year, the company upgraded its private jet travel program, which allowed Medallion status passengers traveling on select Delta Air Lines commercial flights the opportunity to upgrade their tickets to travel on a private jet operated by Delta Private Jets. The change gave potential customers the ability to experience private jet travel, it said.

In addition, Delta Private Jets Tech Service Center, a maintenance, repair and overhaul facility, and its Delta Jet Center, the only fixed base operation at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, each experienced growth.

“I am proud of what we accomplished in 2015, and we are poised for more growth and innovation in 2016,” Sneed said. “We will continue to look for ways to better serve our customers with unique programs and travel solutions. This includes a focus on an enhanced inflight experience that goes beyond just Wi-Fi. We are committed to being the best at everything we do and the best in the industry.”

Delta Private Jets is a subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, and provides aircraft charter, aircraft management and the Delta Private Jets Card. It operates Bombardier, Cessna, Dassault, Gulfstream and Hawker business jets.

Source:  AviationWeek

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