What’s New From Flight Providers

Business aviation flight activity is a few points off the red-hot readings seen at the end of last summer, and the decreased demand has brought lower prices and program enhancements to the now more competitive market. The past year has also toted casualties, as several providers have shut down or scaled back operations, leaving some customers grounded. Here’s a look at some of the changes we’ve witnessed. 

Charter, Card, and Membership Access

Travelers in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Africa with flexible schedules who fly 25 to 49 hours per year can take advantage of VistaJet’s new VJ25 program, providing guaranteed on-demand access to the Vista fleet of more than 360 aircraft worldwide, including the flagship ultra-long-range Bombardier Global 7500. The three-year subscription provides type-specific fixed hourly rates on 325 days per year, and dynamic rates on 40 high-demand days. Customers can interchange among the models in the fleet. Dubai, U.A.E.-based parent company Vista Global also overhauled XO, its U.S. on-demand mobile app-based brokerage, replacing fixed-rate Signature and Select membership options with the dynamically priced XO membership, while top-tier Elite Access members will retain their fixed-rate access as the company develops an updated offering.

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Wheels Up Experience downscaled its national footprint, creating two primary service areas: east of the Mississippi River and parts of Texas; and the Western region. And, in anticipation of reduced operating costs, the company lowered prices “across virtually all cabin classes.” Eighty percent of customers are based within the two regions, according to Wheels Up, and access outside these areas will be dynamically priced and brokered through the company’s Air Partner subsidiary. In the Eastern region, newly introduced UP King Air 50, 100, and 200 cards provide guaranteed access at fixed rates to Wheels Up’s Beechcraft King Air fleet. Meanwhile, the New York-based company’s market cap declined from $2.8 billion in 2021 to about $30 million as of early July; founder and CEO Kenny Dichter stepped down in May.

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Boston’s Magellan Jets lowered hourly rates across all jet card and membership programs, and reduced initiation and renewal dues on the latter. Europe-bound clients can use the jet card for dynamically priced rates on transatlantic flights, and fixed rates within the Continent. The brokerage also reintroduced its entry-level Light Jet Card, added Wi-Fi connectivity for its Embraer Phenom 300 Jet Card, and opened a private terminal at its home airport in Bedford, Massachusetts. 

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For a deposit of $250,000 or $500,000, North Carolina operator flyExclusive’s new Platinum Jet Club offers fixed-price access to light, midsize, and super-midsize jets, with hourly and daily rates set for 12 months. Unlike its standard Jet Club membership, which offers the same rates, Platinum has no peak days or monthly fees. Daily usage rates start at $8,000 on a light jet including a Cessna Citation CJ3 or Citation Encore, and $4,170 per hour flown.

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Atlanta-based HondaJet fleet operator Volato introduced fixed pricing on key routes, including Los Angeles to Las Vegas for $6,000, and New York to Miami for $12,000, for up to four passengers. Its upgraded online booking app now provides instant pricing information on its floating fleet, with availability confirmed after the customer’s quote signoff; Plans call for adding instant availability information to the app, as well.

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On-demand charter provider FXAir, a Directional Aviation subsidiary, expanded its previously all dynamically priced Aviator jet card, adding Aviator +, providing fixed rates and non-peak guaranteed access to Bombardier Challenger 300 and Phenom 300 jets, and tier-plan rates as low as $10,500 and $8,250 per hour, respectively. The program is aimed at fliers with greater travel flexibility than Sentient or Flexjet clients can afford and requires 120-hour advance booking.

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Washington, D.C.–based brokerage Paramount Business Jets launched Corporate Wing Solutions, a supplemental-lift program for corporate operators, blending elements of Paramount’s tiered jet card membership with benefits and rates tailored to each flight department's requirements, routes, usage, and budget.

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Tradewind Aviation, a Connecticut-based per-seat and Part 135 charter operator, sees growth for its Goodspeed charter card after recently ordering 20 new Pilatus PC-12 turboprops. Tradewind is also opening a base near Palm Beach, Florida, and at Hudson Valley Regional Airport in Poughkeepsie, New York, the former to service the Southeast and flights between the U.S. and the Bahamas. In Poughkeepsie, the new hangar facility will accommodate aircraft management clients in the area, complementing current bases at the Waterbury-Oxford and Westchester County airports. The new Pilatus PC-12 deliveries commenced last December, with at least four adds per year slated. 

Per Seat/Shared Charter

Public charter operator JSX expanded from its West Coast network east to Colorado, Texas, and Florida while tripling capacity on its per-seat flights between New York and South Florida, now including a Farmingdale-Palm Beach route. JSX has equipped its fleet of Embraer regional jets with SpaceX’s Starlink low-earth-orbit airborne connectivity system on its 30-seat Embraer ERJ aircraft and provides scheduled charters from more than a score of cities.

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Publicly traded Blade Air Mobility expanded its BladeOne fixed-wing shared flights aboard executive-configured jets, complementing its helicopter transport offerings, booked via its mobile app. Seasonal routes connect Blade’s own terminal at New York’s Westchester County Airport and Miami-Opa locka or Palm Beach, Florida; or Aspen, Colorado. The Bombardier CRJ 200 and Challenger 850 deployed for service are equipped with “preloaded iPads with first-run movies,” and fares include a helicopter shuttle from Manhattan to Westchester. A season pass ($9,750) provides $900 off all flights, and members can launch or join crowd-sourced flights.

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Vista’s XO also expanded its per-seat shared offerings, adding a New York–Florida route between Farmingdale and Palm Beach International on CRJ-200s. XO also has per-seat flights between South Florida and the New York metro area’s Westchester County and Teterboro airports, as well as to Aspen and Los Angeles from both areas.

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Arizona-based Set Jet offers per-seat service on Challenger 850 large-cabin and Bombardier CRJ200 regional jets outfitted in “an ultra-VIP configuration” on routes linking Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, and Van Nuys in Southern California; and Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Members’ monthly fees are $100, and regional one-way flights start at $750, including taxes and fees; flights between Cabo San Lucas and Los Angeles or Scottsdale, Arizona, start at $1,330. Elite memberships ($1,000 per month) provide transcontinental and Westchester Country–South Florida service, with one-way transcontinental fares from $4,500. 

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Positioned as an “elevated luxury experience,” Aero operates Embraer Legacy 600 super-midsize and E135 regional airliners in 13- and 16-seat configurations, respectively, featuring customized interiors outfitted with hand-stitched Italian leather seats. With a branded terminal at Van Nuys, routes link Los Angeles; Aspen, Colorado; Dallas; San Francisco; Sun Valley, Idaho; and Los Cabos, Mexico. Fares had been listed on the company’s site in the $1,200 to $2,500 range per seat, depending on the date, but in July Aero announced that it was lowering U.S. prices, while also suspending its international per-seat service, which previously linked London with Geneva; Ibiza, Spain; and Nice, France. 

Fractional Ownership 

NetJets’ fleet is expected to reach 1,000 aircraft in 2023 and should continue expanding following its May order for up to 250 Embraer Praetor 500s, with deliveries starting this year. The nine-passenger, flat-floor twinjet has a 3,450-nautical-mile range, a Mach 0.83 maximum operating speed, and a vacuum lavatory. The order is valued at up to $5 billion.

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North Carolina–based fractional and charter operator Jet It ceased operations in May. The largest HondaJet operator in the U.S. with some 21 of the over-the-wing-engine-mounted twin jets in its fleet, the company reportedly had stopped paying Honda Aircraft Company for aircraft or engine maintenance coverage. Jet It advised shareowners to consider options including transferring their aircraft to a different operator or selling them. The company also operated Phenom 300s and Gulfstream G150s.

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Miami-based Iris Jets has launched a fractional leasing service, CustomShare, with Miami Jet Club as the first customer. The jet club’s program will offer one-eighth-share fractional leases providing 30 days of access per year on midsize business jets, the first a Beechcraft Hawker 750. 

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Mesa, Arizona’s Paradise Jets launched Destination Club, a days-based fractional program for one-sixth jet shares guaranteeing 16 days of usage annually, with no restrictions other than crew duty time, in addition to providing a return on investment through charter revenue. 

International Access

Following trial service in a dozen countries last year, Finland’s Lygg launched door-to-door transportation solutions using King Air 200, Pilatus PC-12, and Piper PA-31 turboprops for the air portion, initially linking Helsinki with Örebro and Linköping in Sweden, and Tallinn in Estonia. Lygg aims to serve corporate clients needing regular transportation between underserved points throughout Europe.

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European charter management firm Elit’Avia has taken a “significant step toward increasing its presence in the North American market” with its acquisition of Millbrook Air in Newburgh, New York, now rebranded Elit’Avia Americas, and moved its headquarters to Malta.

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Geneva-based brokerage Luna Jets has opened a station in Dubai, its first outside Europe, having recently added offices in London, Paris, Monte Carlo, and Riga, Latvia. Offices in Zurich and Madrid are also scheduled to open this year.

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Zurich’s Nomad Aviation has added five long-range, large-cabin Bombardier, Dassault Falcon, and Gulfstream jets to its managed charter rolls, which include an Airbus ACJ319 executive airliner.

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Switzerland’s Luxaviation Group reports significant expansion of its Asia-Pacific charter fleet, including a Dassault Falcon 2000LX and Bombardier Global 6000 in Australia, a Dassault Falcon 7X and 8X in Malaysia, and a Hawker Beechcraft 900XP and Global 6000 in Singapore.

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Geneva-based charter broker Climate JetClub has an empty-legs Android app that allows potential passengers to see available flights in real-time on a live map, making them easier to find and book. The brokerage is also developing an iOS version of the app, and the empty-leg data is available on its website. 

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Music tour charter specialist Premier Aviation reports a post-COVID surge in live entertainment, with the company handling 30 band tours in the second half of last year. The U.K. division of Hunt & Palmer notes a seasonal cadence to the business: European music tours typically peak in summer through October, while the Middle East is “prolific” in winter. Southeast Asia is also a growing market. 

Rotorcraft Access

Wings Air Helicopters offers commuter flights from Westchester County Airport in White Plains, New York, to Manhattan East 34th Street Heliport on a six-passenger Airbus AS350. Seats on the 15-minute flights cost $499, with discounts available for frequent fliers.

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Blade flight tested a piloted, all-electric Beta Technologies eVTOL at Westchester County Airport, demonstrating its nearly silent operation. Meanwhile, its seasonal helicopter transportation to the Hamptons from the New York metro area expanded with the introduction this summer of seasonal passes. 

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Flexjet’s helicopter service, launched last year, will provide “last mile” transport aboard Sikorsky S-76 helicopters for clients arriving at its forthcoming private terminal at Miami-Opa locka (see below). The Cleveland-based company has also added Sikorsky S-76s in Europe to support its new Gulfstream G650 program, providing complementary helicopter transfers in some locations. 

Start-ups and Shutdowns

After demonstrating last year its proof-of-concept for a planned Southern Plains region per-seat charter network on routes of 100 to 400 nautical miles, start-up WingTips acquired a charter operator early this year, has a mobile app is in the works, and plans to commence service in the third quarter. WingTips also formed a leasing company to manage aircraft it plans to lease for the service. Haven Aero of Amarillo, Texas, will provide surge backup via its jet fleet.

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Miami Beach–based start-up Fleet Clubs offers limited memberships in a “boutique collection of private flying clubs,” each with a dedicated aircraft and route, providing direct air service on scheduled shared-luxury all-first-class 60-passenger airliners. Management has operated private flying clubs that link Hawaii and California for over 15 years.

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Last fall, AeroVanti debuted its Piagio P.180 Avanti membership club, operating the twin turboprops under Part 91L, which regulate aircraft time-share arrangements, and subsequently added yacht access to the program. But in June the company reportedly grounded its fleet due to maintenance and lien issues, even as members have filed multiple lawsuits against it, alleging fraud and misappropriation of funds. 

Consolidations

Charter management firms Northern Jet Management of Grand Rapids, Michigan, merged this year with Speedbird of Orlando, Florida, creating a fleet of some 40 aircraft, including light and midsize Cessna Citations, Learjets, and Challengers, and an EC130 helicopter. The company, not yet renamed, also has a base in Naples, Florida. 

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After acquiring Mayo Aviation late last year and adding five aircraft in February, Chicago’s Priester Aviation now has a managed fleet of some 80 aircraft. The company has added bases in the Rocky Mountain region. 

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In a pairing of Long Island–based charter operators, Executive Fliteways purchased ExcelAire. Executive Fliteways has been in expansion mode since its manager mortgaged his house to buy the company during the pandemic.

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Mobile, Alabama–based Southern Sky Aviation established a facility at Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport in Panama City, Florida, complementing its FBO at Trent Lott International Airport in Pascagoula, and expanded its midsize jet charter fleet with a Beechcraft Premier I.  

Expanding Organically 

Five years after bowing as a charter fleet owner/operator, Los Angeles–based Planet 9 has transitioned into a traditional charter management operator, abetted by an increase of owners new to business aviation needing aircraft management services. The charter fleet has more than 30 large-cabin Bombardier, Gulfstream, and Dassault Falcon jets, half available without owner approval, for fast dispatch, with additional bases at Teterboro, New Jersey; Miami-Opa locka; and London Stansted.

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Miami-Opa locka–based SF50 Vision Jet charter fleet operator Verijet has taken delivery of three new SF50 GT+ jets, bringing its fleet to some 19 aircraft. Meanwhile, a plan to go public via a special-purpose acquisition company has been shelved, as it seeks private capital for expansion.

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For owners seeking “greater value from their aircraft investment,” Farmingdale, New York operator Ventura Air Services’ lease management program absorbs all fixed costs while providing financial benefits. A trio of midsize jets the program has attracted has expanded Ventura’s floating fleet to 11 aircraft. 

New on the Ground

With traffic increases making FBOs in popular destinations “more hectic than in the past,” fractional share provider Flexjet is opening Flexjet-only terminals at Miami-Opa locka Executive Airport, Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport in Montana, and Scottsdale Airport in Arizona.

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Charter management firm Summit Aviation is building a complex at Bozeman Yellowstone that includes a departure lounge, two hangars, and—as flight training provider for Gallatin College/Montana State University’s Aviation Program—the flight school’s simulation lab and an FAA testing lab. Completion is slated for mid-2024.

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Making “an investment in technology and amenities,” charter operator Thrive Aviation has expanded its Henderson, Nevada headquarters, adding a training and development lab, conference rooms, and private executive offices. 

Apps and Platforms

Access program information specialist Private Jet Card Comparisons added fractional ownership integration and long flight discounts to its service, allowing subscribers to directly compare fractional ownership and lease programs with jet card and membership programs. In addition, they can also now calculate all-in hourly flight costs, including acquisition expenses, management fees, hourly rates, and taxes, and accounting for variables including changing residual values, fuel prices, and hours flown.

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Subscription-based online booking platform JetAsap enhanced its commission-free service to include TripMatch, providing email notifications based on route preferences for available flights, including empty legs and one-ways. More than 700 charter operators provide live bookable quotes, and the empty legs and one-ways average 40 percent off standard hourly rates, according to the Boca Raton, Florida firm. The platform also provides search and book functions for more than 2,000 trips per day and a cost-estimate tool.