Talon Air Responds to Parkland Shooting Victim’s Parent with Refund and Donation

Linda Schulman’s son, Marjory Stoneman Douglass geography teacher Scott Beigel, was killed in the February 14 high school shooting in Parkland, Florida, and in the chaotic aftermath she tried to fly to south Florida, but all airlines were booked. So she called Farmingdale, New York–based private jet charter, management, and maintenance company Talon Air to get her there.

"I had never chartered a plane before. It didn’t matter what the cost; I had to get to my son!" Schulman wrote on Facebook. The bill from Talon for the flight on the Hawker 4000  was slightly more than $36,000—double what she'd expected to pay, because she hadn't realized she'd be charged for the aircraft's empty-leg return. Schulman paid the full amount but asked Talon to refund the empty-leg charge. After 72 days of negotiation, she had received only a $2,000 refund, so she told her story in a Facebook post.

Seeing the post, Talon Air founder and CEO Adam Katz contacted her to let her know Talon was willing to refund its entire charge. Via Facebook, Katz wrote, “You have endured the greatest tragedy that no parent should have to confront. My heart goes out to each and every one who has suffered so much pain, anguish, and loss by virtue of this senseless act of violence.”

Schulman accepted a refund for the empty leg but not for the cost of the one-way flight. Katz then opted to donate that amount to the Scott J. Beigel Memorial Fund, which Schulman had set up in her son’s memory to provide scholarships for children to attend summer camp.

Schulman responded, “I want to thank Adam Katz, owner of Talon Air, for his offer, which I have accepted on behalf of our family and the Scott J. Beigel Memorial Fund.”