News

Private Jet setbacks pinch Charlotte Airport

Charlotte/Douglas International Airport once had a bustling private aviation industry. After a few months into the recession and a string of politically shattering comments against the private jet, the industry and the airport have greatly suffered.

As private jet manufacturers lessen production, more and more hangar spaces in Charlotte/Douglas are being vacant.

Aviation director Jerry Orr believes that there will be a lot of “rightsizing” among companies that use the airport. “It’s not as much in vogue to have corporate aircraft,” said Orr.

One of the most high-profile changes with regards to private aviation use is banks. Rick Rothacker of the Charlotte Observer narrates, “Wells Fargo & Co. has closed the former Charlotte-based bank’s Hawkaire aviation subsidiary and plans to sell five planes. Charlotte-based Bank of America Corp. is selling three planes and a helicopter.”

Similarly, banks that have received rescue packages are jettisoning private aviation expenses, which the government perceives as unnecessary. That, plus other corporations are planning to cut on costs to weather the recession.

Conversely, there are a select number of companies that have maintained their fleets, including Duke Energy Corp., Lowe’s Cos., Goodrich Corp. and Family Dollar Stores Inc.

Federal statistics show a significant decrease in flying. For the months of November and December, general aviation take-offs were down by 25 percent in Charlotte/Douglas. December, which recorded 1,982 take-offs, was the fewest of any month in this decade.