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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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SherpaReport sat down with George Antoniadis, the founder and CEO of PlaneSense, to discuss recent growth and expansion in their fractional aircraft programs. The company operates both the Pilatus PC-12 turboprop and PC-24 light jet and has been adding new aircraft to its fleet.

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As a second year affected by the COVID pandemic draws to a close, we have seen demand for private aviation services reaching new highs. At the same time, supply chain issues are causing problems in some areas. We look at private aviation industry forecasts for the coming ten years to see what lies ahead. Included are insights from manufacturer Honeywell and analysts at JETNET iQ. Also included is information from Jetcraft’s five year forecast for the pre-owned business aviation market.

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For 20 years, Tradewind Aviation has been providing private air charter services in the northeastern US, the Caribbean, and further afield. Recently they earned fifth place in the coveted Conde Nast Reader’s Choice Awards for best airline in the United States, a first for any private aviation company. The SherpaReport spoke to founders Eric and David Zipkin recently to learn more about the company.

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Private aviation company Air Partner has a new mobile app for members of its JetCard program. It is also increasing the notice period to request aircraft, is increasing the hourly rates on smaller jets and saying that for certain days over the end of year holidays in 2021 only charter rates will be available. These latter changes all reflect the unprecedented market demand for private aircraft this year.

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Aircraft manufacturer Embraer and private aviation company NetJets have just signed a deal for up to 100 additional Phenom 300 light jets, with a value in excess of $1.2 billion. The Phenom 300 is one of the most popular aircraft in the NetJets fleet.

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Jet Edge, one of the largest private aviation operators, has received a total of $190m in funding from KKR and is adding 27 Bombardier Challenger 300/350 and Gulfstream G450 aircraft to its fleet.

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In the first half of 2021, VistaJet sold over 8,000 new annual subscription hours, an increase of 67% on 2020 figures and a 41% rise over 2019 levels. XO Deposit Members were up 82%, with three times as many sales in the period compared with 2020.

The Vista Global Group’s on demand services also performed strongly during the period, with a year-on-year growth of 67% across all markets, and 55% up on 2019.

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Private aviation company Wheels Up (NYSE:UP) reported its first set of results as a public company, following on from its SPAC listing. The second quarter revenue increased 113% year-over-year to $285.6 million, live flight legs increased 146% year-over-year to 18,234 and active members grew to 10,515 representing 47% year-over-year growth.

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As of today, NetJets says “all requests for the NetJets Card Program will be placed on a waitlist.” This temporary pause for all jet cards extends the announcement from only a few weeks ago, of a pause on just the light cabin Citation XLS and Phenom 300.

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Citing record contract utilization by existing fractional owners, NetJets says flight demand is currently exceeding all other highs in their 57-year history. Simultaneously it has “exhausted the production capacity of some OEM partners.” As a result, it is temporarily pausing sales of new fractional shares, leases and jet cards on the light cabin Citation XLS and Phenom 300, which are the smallest planes in its fleet.

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In March this year, SherpaReport looked at how the market for new business jets showed signs of a strong recovery, from a pandemic induced fall in 2020. In this article, we follow up by exploring the current, booming state of the market for pre-owned business jets.

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Private aviation company Air Partner has seen a 56.8% increase in JetCard bookings globally from 1 February to 30 June compared to the same period last year. The number of new members is also up 36.8% year-on-year, while customer deposits are up 85.2%.

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The new Unlimited Access Program gives G650 fractional jet shareholders access to the entire Flexjet fleet. G650 owners can pick the most appropriate aircraft size for any given flight and choose either direct account credits or additional flight hours.

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In the world of private aviation management, charters, maintenance, and FBO services, Clay Lacy Aviation is one of the longest-running and most experienced companies you will find. Founded in 1968, the company began by offering charter services from Van Nuys Airport in Los Angeles. At the time, it was the only such company west of the Mississippi. Clay Lacy then added additional services: aircraft management, maintenance, and in 1981 the world’s first all-jet FBO. To learn more about recent developments at the company, including the pandemic effects, SherpaReport spoke with Scott Cutshall, SVP Development and Sustainability at Clay Lacy’s FBO in Orange County.

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The new “UP for Business,” is a customizable travel solution established within Wheels Up to meet the needs of corporate clients. The program is structured to deliver on all corporate private flight needs ranging from aircraft charter to aircraft management as well as aircraft ownership solutions, and can also include commercial flights on partner Delta Air Lines.

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Named “JetCard First Flight”, this limited time offer for new private jet flyers is available until September 1st. Qualified travelers can experience Air Partner’s private jet membership program and all its benefits, including fixed hourly rates and special discounts.

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As vaccination rates rise and restrictions are being eased, more people are turning to private air travel, both for leisure and business purposes.

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The newly combined Halo has placed a firm order of 200 Eve Urban Air Mobility (UAM) vehicles. Halo will be the launch customer for this aircraft. These electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft have an expected delivery date in 2026. One hundred of the aircraft will be used for operations in the United States and 100 will operate in the United Kingdom.

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Fractional operator Airshare has ordered three super midsize Challenger 350 aircraft, with options for 17 more. This will enable the Kansas City-based private aviation company to double the size of its fractional ownership fleet, which is currently made up of light jets.

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Business aviation is an essential component of the modern global marketplace, but there is no denying the negative impact of fuel emissions and the growing carbon footprint on our planet. Therefore, it benefits both companies, consumers, and the larger population to have more sustainable and eco-friendly offerings.

The drive toward sustainability has become a key concern for many major industries in recent years, and the private aviation sector is no different. Companies have adopted a number of new initiatives, including carbon offsets, carbon trading, and the adoption of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). In this article, we provide an overview of this vast and innovative field.

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The private aviation holding company, Directional Aviation, has added two more offerings to its portfolio. It has recently acquired Halo Aviation Ltd. (Halo), a leading provider of helicopter transportation services in the United Kingdom. This follows on the acquisition earlier this year of Associated Aircraft Group (AAG), the premier provider of executive Sikorsky helicopter service in the Northeastern United States.

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One of the leading jet card providers, Sentient Jet, has announced a new Transatlantic Program that offers card owners fixed one-way rates with guaranteed availability to Europe this summer.

Latest Aviation Research