Monday, May 29, 2023
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Private Jets and Business Aircraft

Private Jet

With the well documented issues in commercial flying more and more people have found reasons to turn to private aircraft.

There are a variety of options to consider. The starting point is how often you want to fly privately.

If you only fly a few hours a year then on demand aircraft charter is probably the best way to go. As your number of hours of private flying increases look at charter cards and fractional cards.

Once you reach about 50 hours of flying a year then fractional aircraft ownership can start to make sense and above 300 or so hours per year whole ownership is worth looking into. Here is some core information to help you understand the options.

All of the major providers have expanded over the last few years. Many now offer a wide range of products and solutions to meet the needs of various clients. If you're looking at the different options and would like a good general overview then download our free Guide to Private Aviation, which includes details on charter, jet cards and fractional ownership. For detailed side by side comparisons of the leading jet card and fractional providers, a directory of charter operators, and our Aircraft Buying Guide then sign up for membership. 

The latest news and research on private jets and aircraft is included below.

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As part of its continuing acquisition spree, Wheels Up has acquired operator Mountain Aviation. Adding 59 total aircraft to its fleet. This latest acquisition follows on a pattern of buying large, well established management and jet charter operator companies.

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Air Charter Service (ACS) is running a holiday promotion on its jet card with the goal of helping families come together to celebrate. Air Charter Service’s Empyrean jet card usually has a minimum requirement of 25 hours. This festive offer lets people buy a card with a reduced requirement of just 15 hours. Cards can be bought through December 31, 2020.

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In their most recent, Q3 Survey, JetNetIQ found that private jet passengers and customers were most concerned about COVID related items including cleaning the planes between flights. This topped more traditional concerns such as pricing and cost per hour.

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The CARES Act suspended federal excise taxes (FET) on air transportation from March 28 to Dec. 31, 2020. Based on recent guidance from the IRS many charter, jet card and jet membership companies are offering FET free travel into 2021 and beyond. SherpaReport has talked to many of the providers and also touched based with a legal expert to discuss all the offers.

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XO, an on demand and membership based private aviation provider, announced that it is adding 15 Citation light jets to complement its current super midsize aircraft offering. This move takes its dedicated fleet up to 58 light and super midsize jets. XO has further plans to expand to over 50 light jet aircraft over the coming years.

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Our annual summary report on the state of the business jet industry draws upon expertise from several key business insiders, including manufacturer Honeywell and analysts at JETNET iQ, with additional input from Aviation Week.

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We are approaching the time of year when private jet travel reaches its peak levels of demand. In the US, the Christmas and New Year holiday season sees the most private flights. Here’s a look at what this means if you plan to charter, or use your jet card or fractional program.

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The Part 135 operator owns a floating fleet of aircraft and has been adding to the numbers even during the coronavirus pandemic. Their new Jet Club jet card program has also been attracting new customers.

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VistaJet has seen a rapid acceleration in corporate demand as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has launched a new Corporate Membership offering a full suite of flexible travel solutions for businesses and executives around the world.

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Jet Linx recently announced a fourth level of jet card membership for corporate travel, entitled the Enterprise Jet Card Membership. With the introduction of its new membership level, the company plans to provide a higher level of services and solutions optimized for corporate travel.

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The data from August and early September show further increases in business and private aviation. In contrast, commercial aviation continues to struggle.

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There are many good reasons to use private jets when traveling, but 2020’s coronavirus pandemic has seen more people abandon commercial flights in favor of private aviation alternatives. This article explores why flying privately now makes more sense than ever.

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SherpaReport recently noted how private operator XOJET Aviation had been able to retain all staff during the coronavirus downturn. Now they’ve gone one step further. As demand has increased, the company has not only taken on an extra 40 new pilots; they have also added several new aircraft to their fleet. We spoke with COO Kevin Thomas to learn more.

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New hybrid fractional provider Jet It launched its program just a few years ago in 2018. It’s focusing on the relatively new HondaJet, with a days-based access model.

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The large private jet operator, Qatar Executive, has launched a pre-purchase fixed-hourly rate jet card type program called The Diamond Agreement. This provides access to Qatar’s fleet of long-range and ultra-long-range private jets.

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Commercial aviation is experiencing a dramatic drop in demand due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the ongoing uncertainty leaves many industry insiders wondering when things will get back to normal. This downturn has also carried over to manufacturers like Boeing, whose 777X long-haul jets are being delayed. But at the same time, private aviation companies are seeing an uptick in demand. One of these, VistaJet, recently took delivery of its first Bombardier Global 7500, the largest and longest range business jet in production. SherpaReport spoke to VistaJet’s Chief Commercial Officer Ian Moore about the company’s new fleet.

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The private jet charter platform has launched a fixed hourly rate jet card for frequent flyers, after seeing a surge of interest in private jet travel following the COVID-19 outbreak. Card holders can also fly in the USA through a partnership with sister company Sentient Jet.

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As the world comes to terms with the “new normal” of the coronavirus pandemic, business seems to be booming in the private aviation industry. Recent reports from Air Partner, NetJets and Sentient have shown a marked rise in flight bookings. Now, international broker Air Charter Services (ACS) has reported a 75% increase in inquiries during the months of May and June compared to the same time last year. Although July figures were not available at the time of writing, a glance at the first two weeks of the month suggest that this trend is likely to continue.

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Just a few month ago, as the covid pandemic struck, NetJets said it was delaying aircraft orders and furloughing European staff, because flight volumes were depressed. But, in the space of a few months, things have turned around significantly in both North America and Europe. The fractional and jet card provider is now seeing “a steady increase in flight activity and a promising outlook for growth.”

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Directional Aviation has launched FXAIR, the newest member of its family of private jet travel providers, which will specialize in premium charter on-demand. The launch was originally planned for later in 2020, but was brought forward with the rebounding demand for private aviation.

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Jet Linx, a leading private jet management and jet card membership company, has continued its expansion in the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut tri-state region by purchasing Meridian’s Aircraft Management and Air Charter business.

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Private aviation operator XOJET Aviation kept all its employees employed during the coronavirus downturn. They used the time to cross train staff and prepare for global growth.

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