January 2009
Fewer private jets fly in for the 2009 Super Bowl
(January 31, 2009)Corporate America is cutting back on flying private jets to Super Bowl XLIII. 750 private jets will be flying to the main event on Sunday. These jets will be parked at airports nearby the Tampa Bay arena. As of late, the government has been pointing out that some corporate bailout recipients have been somewhat irresponsible in dealing with the economic conditions. “Between the economy and all the corporate jet scrutiny, it seems to be off,” says Mark Moberg, president of Leading Edge Aviation at Tampa Executive Airport. Jets.com, which sold 55 jet charters for the 2008 Super Bowl, has only managed to book 18 trips to the big game this year. “What you’re seeing at GM and Ford, for example, is a lot of pressure to unload private jets,” said Jets.com chief executive Nathan McKelvey. “Everybody wants to free up liquid cash. So you see a lot of companies selling off or not accepting delivery of jets.” St. Petersburg-Clearwater International has only 200 reservations, 50 fewer than 2001. Other jets will be landing on airports as far as Sarasota and Lakeland. Ed Cooley, a senior director at Tampa International General Aviation Planning for the Super Bowl Host Committee, said that they don’t know the reason behind the private jet decrease. Cooley explained, “We really just know the reservation numbers are not the same as last time.”
Jet owner sues private jet manufacturer
(January 30, 2009)According to the Associated Press, “The owner and operator of a private jet that crashed last year, killing four people, is suing the South Carolina airport, the plane’s manufacturer and a tire company.” Travis Barker—drummer for the punk band Blink 182—suffered injuries during the crash, which took the lives of four people on board the plane (the pilot, the co-pilot, and two of Barker’s assistants). The jet was owned by Inter Travel & Services Inc. of Irvine and was operated by Global Exec Aviation Inc. of Long Beach, Calif. Both companies are demanding for more than $12 million worth of damages against Bombardier Aerospace Corp., Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., and the South Carolina Airport. Federal investigators have yet to pin point the cause of the crash, but the cockpit recordings seem to suggest that the pilots thought a tire had blown out during take-off. Pieces of the tire were recovered in the runway. The law suit is further described by the Associated Press: “The suit contends that the design of the area beyond the runway at Columbia Metropolitan Airport also contributed to the seriousness of the crash: There was not enough room for the plane to stop, a fence and other equipment damaged the jet’s fuel tanks and the lowered roadway around the airport caused the plane to crash nose first into a raised embankment.” The airport has denied these allegations. On the other hand, Goodyear seems disappointed that the suit was filed. “While the tires may have been involved, it is still too early to speculate on a cause,” said company spokesperson Ed Markey. “The performance of a tire is dependent upon how the tire was used, if it was properly maintained and whether it was damaged before the accident.” A spokesperson from Bombardier said, “It’s pretty common to have lawsuits filed after an incident.”
Virgin Charter selected as Private Jet Charter Provider for Vacation.com
(January 30, 2009)Virgin Charter—an online booking tool for private jet charters—has been selected by Vacation.com, a travel service marketing organization, to be the official private jet charter provider of the company. Virgin Charter will give Vacation.com travel professionals a complete online solution to manage all private jet needs of their clientele. Vacation.com will have a toll-free number that will be run by Virgin Charter. "Vacation.com and Virgin Charter are a perfect fit: we both deliver the very best customer service and experience,” said Scott Duffy, founder and CEO of Virgin Charter. “We look forward to working closely with the Vacation.com travel professionals to meet their clients’ private jet needs. With custom tools enabling them to compare quotes from multiple operators, provide clients with detailed information on the safety and quality of the aircraft and operator, manage post-flight reconciliation and more, we will make the entire process seamless and efficient.” “Our members are always searching for the perfect solution for their clients,” described Steve Tracas, president and CEO of Vacation.com. “By partnering with Virgin Charter, Vacation.com has provided our members with a private jet solution that connects them to operators around the country who are eager to provide a valuable service.” Through the Virgin Charter Marketplace, Vacation.com travel professionals will be able to receive quotes for each trip from hundreds of operators across the US. This gives vacation.com access to more than 1,000 aircrafts.
Aircompair launches redesigned website
(January 30, 2009)Aircompair—a leading private jet rental provider—has officially launched its redesigned website. The new site allows subscribers to: browse through photos of available jets, find participating airports, and find out more about the company’s exclusive services. Aircompair already has a strong following for their membership-based service and a redesigned site will allow them to attract more luxury travelers. Despite poor economic conditions, the company has managed to record consistent growth rates due to their savings offerings. Unlike typical private jet charters, membership-based flights allow the company to offer more to their travelers, i.e. exclusive discounts and promos. That’s what has allowed Aircompair to maintain a cost-effective organization. “We are very excited about the launch of our new website,” said Mike Scaminaci, Aircompair CEO. “It will help clients get a better idea of exactly what we offer and exactly what they can expect when they subscribe to our service. The fact that we also offer live chat and an FAQ section will allow current subscribers easier access to available resources and will allow potential subscribers to get their questions answered quickly and accurately. We feel like the redesign of the website will be invaluable our already-growing company.” Aircompair’s website was designed by Dallas-based Company SEO 1 Services. SEO 1 specialized in organic search engine optimization services. Aside from making the site visually appealing, SEO 1 makes sure that Aircompair’s website will be easily found on the Web.
Official launch of Faisal Aviation
(January 28, 2009)Faisal Aviation—a new private jet charter company—was officially launched in Dubai last Wednesday. The $40 million company is based at Sharjah International Airport. Faisal Aviation will charter private jet flights using a Gulfstream G200, a large-cabin, mid-range aircraft. The company bought the jet for $20 million last November from Gulfstream. In addition to that jet, company spokespersons said that they will be receiving a Challenger 604 within the upcoming weeks. Ebrahim Ahram, Faisal Aviation director of flight operations, said that the company will base the second aircraft in Vienna, Austria, to target the Far East and Eastern Europe markets. “The market [for business travel] still looks good. People still have to move,” Ahram commented, “We are hitting the Far East market because there is more activity there, even with the financial crisis.” According to Faisal Aviation execs, they will also be working with Gain Jet and Direct Air to set-up offices in Syria. “We have steady clients but things have slowed down now. The demand is still there. All you have to do is instead of flying four times a month, now fly two times a month,” said Ahram. Business aviation in UAE has been recording steady growth rates, despite the recession. The regional private jet industry is expected to grow an annual rate of $500M to $800M until 2012.
Citigroup cancels Private Jet order
(January 28, 2009)President Obama made clear that he will not stand for greed in the corporate ranks, most especially if it’s funded by the taxpayer’s hard-earned money. As reported by ABC News, the President expressed his dismay to execs at Citigroup, who were planning to purchase a luxurious $50 million private jet from France. The Citigroup officials were left with no choice but to abandon their plans. The bailed out bank was initially planning to buy a $50M jet, despite receiving a $45M pay-out from the US government. According to the reports, the Obama administration contacted the Citigroup last Monday to address this issue. The administration told them to “fix it.” The Citigroup intended to purchase a new Dassault Falcon 7X, a state-of-the-art jet that had a range of 5,950 nautical miles. The Dassault has numerous amenities, including plush interior, sofas, and a customizable entertainment center. However, the bank soon caved to public opinion. Considering the current financial situation, spendthrift will not be welcomed by the US citizens. And it becomes even more glaring to see that the company requested for a bail out and managed to involve a new jet purchase in their inventory. The whole instance begs the question: did they really need the bail out in the first place?
Private jets get benched for the Super Bowl
(January 27, 2009)The US is set abuzz by the upcoming Super Bowl—one of the premiere sports events in American culture. All our getting ecstatic except for private jet charter companies, who will be expecting a thin outing during the Super Bowl. For the past few years, private jet charters have made a killing by transporting avid fans across the US to different Super Bowl locations. However, 2009 is a different case. “It’s sure not 2008 any more,” sighs Nathan McKelvey, the chief executive officer of Jets.com—a company charters private jet flights. Last year, Jets.com co-sponsored an airport party in Phoenix to meet their Super Bowl customers. There were around 500 private jets that flew in for the big game. The company also worked with the NFL to form 55 Super Bowl packages, which included transportation, tickets, and hotel accommodations. This year, Jets.com offers 13 packages. This year’s Super Bowl—which will be held in Tampa Bay, Florida—is expecting a $150 million reduction in general expenses, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Andrew Goldfarb wins Sentient Private Jet airline membership
(January 27, 2009)Golf amateur Andrew Goldfarb scored a hole-in-one during the 15th hole during the 50th Bob Hope Classic held at the Palmer Private Course at PGA West. Goldfarb won the $100,000 Sentient Jet Hole-In-One contest, which fives him $50,000 worth of flight credits from Sentient Jet Membership. The other $50,000 will be donated to Dessert Classic Charities, the chief beneficiary of the Bob Hope Classic. “It was the ugliest shot I hit for a hole-in-one,” described Goldfarb, about his third career ace. “I hit it right, it hit the rough, bounced on to the green and went downhill toward the water. It tracked and all nine of us were watching. It hit the flag and went straight down.” “We are thrilled to partner for the fourth consecutive year with the PGA Tour and the Bob Hope Classic, two world-class organizations that have helped Sentient build a thriving business,” commented Steven Hankin, Sentient’s chief executive officer. “We congratulate Mr. Goldfarb on his incredible shot and look forward to having him experience Sentient’s exceptional service for his upcoming private jet travel. More importantly, Sentient Jet Membership is especially pleased to make a $50,000 contribution to Desert Classic Charities in support of their efforts to assist charities in the Coachella Valley.”
Anantara Resorts introduce private jet packages
(January 24, 2009)Anantara Resorts is introducing new private jet packages that will allow travelers to go direct to some of Asia most exotic locations. The Sydney Morning Herald gives examples of some packages: “Take the eight-day, $US40,505 ($61,346) Jewels of South-East Asia package and you’ll find yourself flying on board a Cessna Citation CJ3 from Bangkok to Chiang Rai and on to Burma and Cambodia before unwinding at one of the resort’s private pool villas on Phuket. If you opt for the seven-day trip that skips Burma, it’s only $US25,420 a person.” For more information, please visit Anantara.com.
From US to Bermuda on a Private Jet
(January 22, 2009)According to US Consul General Gregory Slayton, Bermuda can be the next regular stop-over destination for corporate executive that fly via private jets. Slayton said that a deal to pre-clear private jets entering America could be signed within the next weeks. This means that passengers can avoid the typical long waits at major American airports before flying to smaller airports. Last year, Bermuda signed a memo towards an agreement on the pre-clearance of private jets, which could make Bermuda the first destination out of the US to sign the deal. “I am happy to say there has been a lot of work in the background and great progress is being made,” commented Slayton. “We are fairly close – within a month or two – of being able to sign that agreement. That should have a direct benefit for Bermudians in the hospitality industry – everyone from taxi drivers to hoteliers to restaurant owners and their staff. We certainly hope that is the case. We would expect the amount of private jet traffic to Bermuda to increase.”
