Charter Executive Predicts Increased Demand

The aircraft charter industry is entering its next up cycle, according to David Rimmer, executive vice president of Ronkonkoma, N.Y.-based ExcelAire. Rimmer (in photo) told BJT sister publication Aviation International News that he is "cautiously optimistic" that charter demand will continue to improve this year, barring "any new surprises in the economy." He said his company was on the lower end of the 20- to 60-percent erosion in charter demand last year, adding that ExcelAire is now "holding steady." The firm has seen demand for super-midsize and heavy business jets increase over the past few months, with the Embraer Legacy 600, Bombardier Globals and Gulfstream GV topping its list of most requested aircraft. Charter rates are starting to firm up, Rimmer said, though some of the more "desperate" charter operators are still discounting heavily, with "some rates barely covering fuel costs." He added, however, that the most common form of charter discounting now involves breaks on daily minimum charges.