Key Air Celebrates 30th Anniversary

Key Air (Booth N5222) comes to NBAA 2015 celebrating its 30th anniversary. The company has returned to growth mode with the addition of four long-range jets to its charter certificate this year, flying hours climbing and a solid outlook for the future, said co-founder Alan DePeters.

Key Air was established in February 1986, just a few months after DePeters helped launch its sister company, Keystone Aviation (now Keystone FBO Services) at Connecticut’s Waterbury-Oxford Airport (OXC). The name Key Air, while born out the Keystone name, actually came from the local department of motor vehicles. As DePeters recalled, when he applied for a new license plate for his car he wanted to play off of Keystone, so he applied for KEY XTN; instead, he received a plate with KEY AIR. Thus his new aircraft management business became Key Air.

Key Air began with a single Hawker 700 acquired by DePeters’s partners in the venture, and the firm soon added a second aircraft to the managed fleet. The business grew from there, initially, “almost all by word of mouth,” DePeters said. The company had a clear mission of wanting to provide personalized service and work closely with its customers. DePeters personally flew a number of the missions for the business, from Hawkers to Gulfstreams.

DePeters had initially retired in 2006, remaining on the board. But in 2014, company investors asked DePeters if he would return to take the reins of the charter and management business. “I’ve always been active with the company,” he said, adding he was happy to return.

Since DePeters rejoined the company, Key Air has added a Falcon 2000LX, Falcon 7X, GIV-SP and a G650ER. Key Air has concentrated most its fleet in a few regional locations and reinstated a maintenance department. The company also renewed key safety programs, including IS-BAO Stage II and Air Charter Safety Foundation Industry Audit Standard registration.

DePeters expects to add additional aircraft to the Key Air fleet, which now numbers 14 aircraft. But he has no desire to build a large network with 40 or more aircraft. Rather, he wants the company to remain a boutique business with a focus on close customer relations. “The mission originally was to be a hands-on boutique company, which it is today,” he said.