Story ID: 351
Access Solutions on Display Amid Charter Boom
By: James Wynbrandt
Caption: A host of exhibiting charter firms underscore the important role smaller operators play in meeting unprecedented demand for lift.
Word Count: 1675
The heavy lifters of the charter world—the major fleet operators, membership and jet card providers, and fractional programs—get most of the attention in the access arena. But they are far outnumbered and out-lifted by smaller charter operators and full-service charter management companies that provide the majority of worldwide charter service. More than a score of such firms are exhibiting at NBAA 2022, providing rich opportunities for charter customers, aircraft owners, and fellow operators to discuss the latest responses to today’s unprecedented demand for lift.

Offering a spectrum of aviation services along with charter, Keystone Aviation (Booth 1688) operates more than half a dozen turboprop, very light, midsize, super-midsize, and large-cabin jets from its Salt Lake City base. Argus Platinum and Wyvern Wingman rated, Keystone has complete in-house maintenance capabilities.

On the management side, it can generate offsetting charter revenue for owners and provide discount pricing on services through its fleet buying power. Earlier this year, Keystone was acquired by Elevate Holdings, and it has subsequently announced plans to expand its MRO footprint.

Midwest-centric Chicago Jet Group, with bases in Chicago and Atlanta, offers on-demand access with 24-hour availability for personal and corporate travel and also handles charter management for corporate aircraft owners seeking Part 135 revenue. The fleet includes three Falcon 900Bs and six Falcon 50s.

Jet Access (Booth 1754) operates almost a score of midsize and super-midsize jets, bookended by light and heavy jet aircraft for charter and complemented by some 4,000 aircraft available through vetted partner operators. The vertically integrated,  Indiana-based firm also offers aircraft management and acquisitions and maintenance services. Jet Access is highlighting in Orlando its Wing Share joint aircraft ownership program, which can source mission-defined aircraft, offers owners revenue-sharing opportunities, and provides full financial transparency and visibility.

Founded in 2001, Cleveland-based SkyQuest Aviation (Booth 2323) operates an Argus Gold Plus and Wyvern registered 24-aircraft fleet spanning light jets (Beechjet 400A and Learjet 40XR), midsize models (Hawker 800XP/900XP), and super-midsize (Challenger 300/350) and large-cabin (Challenger 605) jets for on-demand charter.

SkyQuest’s jet card (in 10-, 25-, and 50-hour denominations) features guaranteed rates and access, fully refundable deposits, and non-expiring hours; and its Jet Club offers the benefits of the 25-hour card without an upfront investment. However, both the jet card and club programs have wait lists, though SkyQuest representatives, like their colleagues, are “happy to answer questions” in Orlando about any of its services.

Atlanta-based Volato (Booth 4260) operates the HA420 HondaJet light jet and the super-midsize Gulfstream G280 and offers fractional ownership, jet card, and on-demand access to the fleet. Serving the East Coast and growing its West Coast presence through a California base, Volato offers an innovative fractional ownership structure and revenue-sharing plan that can provide significant cash back to owners, while its Stretch Jet Card offers flight credits that reward members’ flexibility in their flight bookings, stretching their flight-hour balances. Volato has some six HondaJets in its fleet with 18 on order and reportedly has four firm orders for G280s.

Connecticut’s Fly the Whale (Booth 2220), founded in 2008, operates on-demand seaplane and light jet service in the Northeast, South Florida, and the Bahamas. Its eight-aircraft fleet includes turboprop Cessna Caravan land and seaplanes, and light jets, all less than 20 years old, and offers a multi-tiered frequent-flyer program. Flights between New York City and the Hamptons and Cape area operate from the 23rd Street Seaplane Base; Bahamas-bound seaplane flights operate from the Miami Seaplane base. In either case, with four amphibs, Fly the Whale can operate on land or water.

Though it maintains a low profile, Contour Aviation (Booth 1663) of Smyrna, Tennessee, is among the 10 largest charter operators in the U.S. and offers a diverse fleet of charter aircraft that can accommodate up to 30 passengers. Boasting a robust operational control center and in-house safety department, Contour is the exclusive operator for several luxury travel brands, including Crystal Cruises’ Luxury Air Global Express XRS and BladeOne service, operated between New York and South Florida for Blade.

A full-service charter, management, and acquisitions firm, London-based Freestream Aircraft (Static Display AD_404) offers international air charter brokerage for midsize and large aircraft, including executive airliners. An advocate for sustainability in business aviation, Freestream has vowed to offset the carbon emissions of every jet it sells and has thus far planted some five million trees toward that effort, earning president and CEO Alireza Ittihadieh a place in Corporate Jet Investor’s inaugural listing of the top 20 Sustainability Power Players of 2022, which is comprised of business leaders, scientists, engineers, and others moving the dial on sustainability. Focusing on the transactions side of its business in Orlando, Freestream is displaying a for-sale jet, though the model hadn’t been disclosed by press time.

Given the Sunshine State’s popularity as a national and international destination, it’s not surprising that several charter companies are based in Florida, and at least half a dozen are at the Orlando show representing the home team.

Family-owned National Jets (Booth 1624) began operations in Florida in 1960 and today operates Learjet 45s, a Learjet 60, and a Gulfstream GV from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, flying throughout North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean. The GV seats up to 16 passengers and features an aft stateroom with a master bath. Argus Gold-rated, National Jets also operates a fuel farm, private terminal, and MRO facility, and has multilingual flight specialists on call 24/7. Earlier this year, the company announced a major expansion, including the construction of a modern FBO terminal and 84,000 square feet of dedicated hangar space.

ExecuJet Charter Service (Booth 3970) in Tampa operates a fleet that includes a King Air 200 and a 350i, a Hawker 800XP, and a Falcon 900B, and can quickly source alternative lift as needed. A full-service Argus-rated provider, ExecuJet also offers aircraft management and transaction services. It was established in 1994, and one of the two founders, Peter Cunzolo, remains president and CEO today.

Florida Jet Center’s (Booth 3726) owned and operated fleet, based at Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, and Palm Beach, includes a Learjet 55, Learjet 60, Challenger 605, and Eurocopter EC130B4. Fleet ownership gives the company the flexibility to schedule flights without the complication of providing owners with access. Popular destinations from Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport include the New York area; Aspen, Colorado; Santa Barbara, California for access to L.A.; and Las Vegas.

With headquarters in Orlando and offices in Miami, Palm Beach, and Stuart, Florida, as well as Providence, Rhode Island, Fly Alliance (Static Display AD_403) is presenting its Global Express, which is positioned, the company noted, to serve the entire eastern seaboard. Fly Alliance provides both on-demand and jet card charter access and has more than 2,000 jet card members.

Stuart’s Premier Air (Booth 1978) operates more than a dozen jets, including Hawker 400 XP, Citation CJ1, and Citation Bravo light jets; and Hawker 800XP midsize jets, in addition to a large-cabin Gulfstream GV. The Wyvern Wingman-rated company can access more than 1,000 additional aircraft through its Premier Partner network of operators. Established in 2013, Premier also offers 25- and 50-hour jet cards; and the Florida Express Jet Club, an access program for seasonal travelers flying between the Midwest or the Northeast and Florida.

Founded in 2020, Opa-Locka’s Verijet (displaying with Avinode; Booth 4535) operates an all-Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet charter fleet, covering most of the East and West Coast, including destinations within a 600-nm radius of New York’s Westchester County Airport, and select Caribbean locations. With a focus on sustainable air travel, Verijet boasts carbon-neutral flights through an offset program with 4Air and notes that the single-engine Vision Jet emits more than a ton less CO2 emissions per hour than other light jets. Hourly charter rates are lower, as well.

New York-based Fly Louie Alliance (Booth 1923) is a network of small operators and FBOs that offers its members, through group volume purchase agreements, the discounts major operators have long enjoyed by dint of their size and purchasing power. Discounts are available on fuel, lodging, FBO services, employee benefits solutions, insurance, and other goods and services. The alliance, which charges no membership fee, now comprises some 300 operators and 3,000 aircraft. Alliance representatives are eager to meet with operators and explain program details.

Brazil-based Flapper (Booth 3070) is showcasing its retail charter app, offering aerial mobility access to turboprops, jets, and helicopters. With offices throughout Latin America, Flapper was founded in 2016 with the vision of becoming the emerging market’s first fully integrated, on-demand, private aviation platform. Charter customers can save 5 to 15 percent over typical charter rates due to lower hourly rates that Flapper can arrange beforehand because of its volume. Charter booking requests require just 15 to 60 minutes to confirm.

New approaches to charter booking are also on display in Orlando. Fly Air (Booth 1381) is demo-ing Fly App, its voice-activated, artificial-intelligence-driven charter booking app. Built on blockchain technology, it allows users who create an account to tell the app where and when they want to go and review the flight options, complete with photos of the aircraft. Booking a flight requires FlyCash, the California company’s own fixed-rate digital currency, which can be purchased with any recognized e-payment method.

VOO Effortless Booking (Booth 1554), a digital B2B charter marketplace, is showcasing its platform, which offers fair, fixed prices for jets listed and supports searches, bookings, and payments for charter brokers. VOO prepays operators on behalf of brokers, granting a grace period for brokers to pay the charter costs. VOO assumes non-payment risks on behalf of the operator. Operators’ aircraft utilization improves, costs sink, and margins will rise with its platform, according to VOO.

Charter and Go (Booth 4565) is showcasing its automated revenue-management system, designed to improve charter operators’ and brokers’ bottom lines by reducing operational complexity and allowing them to “dial in” their pricing strategy. The system features a rules-driven dispatch solution, crew management tool, reporting engine, and eConnect for easy connectivity to downline systems.