Private Jets and Business Aircraft
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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- Written by Nick Copley
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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- Written by Fiona Young-Brown
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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- Written by Nick Copley
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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- Written by Nick Copley
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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- Written by Fiona Young-Brown
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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- Written by Nick Copley
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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- Written by Nick Copley
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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- Written by Fiona Young-Brown
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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- Written by Nick Copley
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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- Written by Nick Copley
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.
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- Written by Fiona Young-Brown
One common question as people start to explore their options with private aircraft is how much does it actually cost? This article will walk you through various cost factors and will provide some broad guidelines for pricing.
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- Written by Nick Copley
Flexjet, one of the largest private aviation companies, has expanded its private terminal network with a new location at Van Nuys airport in Los Angeles, California. The company’s fourth terminal is on the Clay Lacy Executive Complex and features a 3,000 square-foot lounge available exclusively for Flexjet clients.
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- Written by Nick Copley
The jet card provider, Sentient Jet, ended 2020 with $450MM in jet card sales, achieving 60% year over year growth. SherpaReport caught up with CEO Andrew Collins to discuss results and trends from 2020, expectations for 2021 and the changes brought on by the pandemic.
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- Written by Fiona Young-Brown
Many jet card programs come with a range of extra perks, offering lifestyle benefits in dining, entertainment, travel, and even health. Omaha-based Jet Linx provides their Elevated Lifestyle program, and in the past year they have added a host of new partners to the scheme. We caught up with Jet Linx to learn more about these new benefits, and to revisit what other benefits are available to members.
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- Written by Fiona Young-Brown
The COVID pandemic had a negative effect on most industries in 2020, including aviation sales. However, the latest data from the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) indicates that demand is still strong and will rebound as pandemic fears ease. Last year saw 644 new business jets sold worldwide, a 20.4% decline from 2019 figures (809 sales). GAMA notes that sales were stronger in the 4th quarter, providing optimism for recovery in 2021.
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- Written by Nick Copley
In the continuing flow of deals in business aviation Vista Global, parent company of VistaJet and XO, is buying Apollo Jets. Apollo and its 4,000 clients will be integrated as a division of XO, Vista Global’s digital brand.
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- Written by Nick Copley
Figures from ARGUS show the largest part 135 charter operators in the USA in 2020. The figures include both the hours flown and the number of aircraft in their charter fleets. Overall hours in 2020 dropped due to COVID, but at the same time there is a lot of consolidation happening in the industry.
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- Written by Nick Copley
Fractional aircraft operator NetJets has obtained purchase rights for 20 AS2 supersonic business jets. The two companies are also looking at further partnerships.
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- Written by Nick Copley
SherpaReport recently talked to Brad Blettner, Senior Vice President of flyExclusive. We discussed results in 2020, plans for 2021 and tips and advice for private aviation flyers.
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- Written by Nick Copley
The numbers from aviation services company ARGUS, show fractional aircraft operators flew 504,821 hours in 2020 a decrease of 115,467 hours (18.6%), compared to 2019. The number of actual flights by the fractional operators dropped 22.4% in 2020 compared to 2019 flight levels. The largest operators are ranked and discussed below.
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- Written by Fiona Young-Brown
Last year, SherpaReport took a look at up-and-coming aviation company Jet It. The North Carolina company was established in late 2018 to offer fractional ownership of the HondaJet Elite aircraft. The company quickly garnered attention with its day-use model and its guaranteed residual values. This latest article looks at their continued progress and recent announcements for further expansion.
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- Written by Nick Copley
SherpaReport recently caught up with Ian Moore, the Chief Commercial Officer at VistaJet. We talked through the changes that VistaJet has seen over the last year, the effect of COVID, expectations for 2021 and advice for anyone looking at private aviation.
Latest Aviation Research
- Updated Aircraft Buying Guide
- What are FBOs And What Services Do They Provide
- The Largest Fractional Aircraft Operators in 2022
- New Guide to Buying a Private Aircraft
- Used Business Jet Sales Are Surging
- Chartering a Private Aircraft: Primer for First Time Buyers
- Negotiating Fractional Jet Contract Terms
- An Introduction to Flying on Private Aircraft
- New Business Jet Sales Up in 2018
- Buying a Jet for Charter Revenue