Tag Archives: Private Aviation News

Delta Private Jets Reports Record Charter Sales For 2015, 3rd Largest Operator

Delta Private Jets CharterDelta Private Jets is calling 2015 a record year for revenue and jet card and charter sales.
It also reported 34% growth in its managed aircraft fleet last year.

“We started the year with 53 aircraft on our certificate, which grew to 72 by year’s end,” said David Sneed, Delta Private Jets executive vice president and chief operating officer. “This allowed DPJ to become the third largest Part 135 operator in the country in terms of fleet size.”

All 72 Delta Private Jets are available in FlightList PRO.

New jet card sales rose 31% in 2015 when compared to 2014. In addition, “our charter sales were extremely strong as well, with revenue up 56% over the previous year,” Sneed said.

Last year, the company upgraded its private jet travel program, which allowed Medallion status passengers traveling on select Delta Air Lines commercial flights the opportunity to upgrade their tickets to travel on a private jet operated by Delta Private Jets. The change gave potential customers the ability to experience private jet travel, it said.

In addition, Delta Private Jets Tech Service Center, a maintenance, repair and overhaul facility, and its Delta Jet Center, the only fixed base operation at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, each experienced growth.

“I am proud of what we accomplished in 2015, and we are poised for more growth and innovation in 2016,” Sneed said. “We will continue to look for ways to better serve our customers with unique programs and travel solutions. This includes a focus on an enhanced inflight experience that goes beyond just Wi-Fi. We are committed to being the best at everything we do and the best in the industry.”

Delta Private Jets is a subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, and provides aircraft charter, aircraft management and the Delta Private Jets Card. It operates Bombardier, Cessna, Dassault, Gulfstream and Hawker business jets.

Source:  AviationWeek

Post a comment!

Operators Guide; Flying To Super Bowl 50

Super Bowl 50 will take place on Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA. Game time will be at 3:30 p.m. (PST). Due to the increased air traffic expected at area airports, and at Las Vegas Mc Carran International Airport (LAS), operators are encourgeed to review the following resources.

Courtesy NBAA operations guide for Super Bowl 50.

Ramp Reservations for California Airports

Note that there will not be an FAA slot-based Special Traffic Management Program (E-STMP) implemented for Super Bowl 50, However, ramp reservations will be required for both IFR/VFR arrivals and departures from Thursday, Feb. 4 through Monday, Feb. 8 at all San Francisco Bay, Napa Valley and Monterey Peninsula-area airports. Please note, reservations will also be required for “drop and go” operations. Ramp reservations can be obtained through your FBO.

The following airports will have requirements for ramp arrival and departure reservations.

Airport Location Identifier
San Francisco International San Francisco, CA SFO
Oakland International Oakland, CA OAK
Hayward Executive Hayward, CA HWD
Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International San Jose, CA SJC
Livermore Municipal Livermore, CA LVK
Buchanan Field Concord, CA CCR
Napa County Napa, CA APC
Charles M. Schultz – Sonoma County Santa Rosa, CA STS
Monterey Regional Monterey, CA MRY
Watsonville Municipal Watsonville, CA WVI
Salinas Municipal Salinas, CA SNS
Reid-Hillview Airport of Santa Clara County San Jose, CA RHV
Moffett Federal Airfield Mountain View, CA NUQ
San Carlos Airport San Carlos, CA SQL
Hollister Municipal Hollister, CA CVH

Ramp Reservations Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS)

Ramp reservations will be required through your FBO of choice at LAS. It is highly recommended that you obtain your ramp reservation as soon as possible as parking is limited. When contacting your LAS FBO, provide them with your scheduled arrival and departure time.

In addition, FAA ATC traffic management initiatives might be needed if air traffic demand exceeds the airport capacity. LAS capacity has been decreased due to a runway construction project. If a ground delay program is needed at LAS, an expected departure clearance time (EDCT) will be given to the flight operator by ATC. An ATC issued EDCT will take precedence over a ramp reservation. Please note, however, your ramp reservation will still be honored. Additional traffic management initiatives are possible for the Las Vegas area airports such as miles in trail, flow metering times and/or ground stops.

Ramp reservations are not required at Henderson Executive (HND) and North Las Vegas Airport (VGT), however, it is highly recommended that flight operators contact the FBO at HND or VGT in advance to provide operational details.

Route Requirements

Arrival Route Requirements

Dates and times differ based on destination airport.

Departure Route Requirements

Sunday, Feb. 7, 5 p.m. (PST) (0100z) through Monday, Feb. 8, 8 p.m. (PST) (09/0400z)

Due to the expected heavy volume of departures, users must file specific routes from Feb. 7, 5 p.m. (PST) through Feb. 8, 8 p.m. (PST) (08/0100z to 09/0400z). These routes will be specific to airport of origin and direction of flight and/or destination. These routes can be found in the FAA special traffic management procedures NOTAMs.

Airport Specific NOTAMs

Review the traffic management procedures, including arrival and departure route requirements, for the airports below:

Temporary Flight Restrictions

FDC NOTAM 6/6446 has been released for the San Jose, CA area in relation to Super Bowl 50 on February 07, 2016.

A 10 nautical mile TFR ring centered on Levi’s Stadium (or the SJC306003.0) prohibits GA operations at the following airports from 1400 local (2200z) until 2359 local (08/0759z) on Feb. 7, 2016.

  • Norman Mineta San Jose International (SJC)
  • Moffett Federal Airport (NUQ)
  • Palo Alto Airport (PAO)
  • Reid-Hillview Airport San Jose (RHV)

A 32 nautical mile TFR ring centered on SJC306003.0 has additional restrictions between the 10 nautical mile and 32 nautical mile areas from 1400 local (2200z) until 2359 local (08/0759z) on Feb. 7, 2016.

Flight operations on an active IFR flight plan, squawking a discrete transponder code and talking to ATC will be allowed to operate between the 10nm and 32nm rings.

The NOTAM details can be found on the FAA TFR NOTAM web page.

Air Traffic Management Initiatives

FAA ATC Air Traffic Management Initiatives can be expected throughout the week and may include the following:

  • Ground Delay Programs
  • Airspace Flow Programs
  • Collaborative Trajectory Options Program
  • Time Based Metering
  • Miles in Trail
  • Airborne Holding
  • Ground Stops

Filing Flight Plans Early

Operators flying to San Francisco-area airports through Feb. 8 should make sure their flight plans have been submitted through a CDM-participating flight plan service provider or flight planning tool ​​the night before operation. These providers include Fltplan.com​, Rockwell Collins/ARINC Direct, Universal, Jeppesen and others​. ​Doing so will ensure that flight plan information is known to FAA before potential ground delay programs are implemented. This is especially the case for operators flying to SFO, OAK and SJC due to the possibility of programs into those airports. If flight plans are filed after a ground delay program has been implemented, it is likely operators will see excessive delays.

Airfiles and Destination Changes

Traffic management initiatives for this event are designed to provide equitable airspace access. To maintain program integrity and minimize delays, no airborne IFR filing or airborne changes of destination will be allowed within 200nm of Northern California TRACON Terminal airspace, except in emergency situations. Duplicate flight plans (same time/call sign) to multiple airport destinations are subject to removal from the system.

Source:  NBAA National Businesss Aviation Associaion

Post a comment!

Regal Wings Announces New Private Jet Charter Division

Regal WingsRegal Wings Press Release 12/3/15
SOURCE Regal Wings

Since its inception over ten years ago, Regal Wings has earned a well-deserved reputation as an award winning luxury travel firm which specializes in first and business class ticketing, one satisfied client at a time. With our over the top customer service and the ability to access unpublished fares at the lowest possible prices, we have caught attention from A-list companies and high profile celebrities alike, as well as accolades from Inc. Magazine, Frommers, and Crain’s New York Business.

In our never ending quest to provide the highest possible level of service, we have launched an elite Private Jet Charter division which takes our legendary personal attention and unbeatable fares to new heights. As private aviation specialists we have secured relationships with major private jet operators in the United States, and our strong buying power gives us access to the quality fares that are not available anywhere else.

Regal Wings is proud to announce that we have joined forces for this launch with Steven Kramer who is the founder and CEO of Oceans Capital. Steven brings his boundless expertise of the private jet industry to our new business jets division, and under his watch we will bring an unparalleled experience. Our talented team will serve each client to ensure that every aspect of their journey whether it is domestic or international will meet the unsurpassed Regal standards, and that every jet carries the highest of safety ratings.

“We invite you to fly with our new private aviation team to have us take you to the loftiest of heights,” said Regal Wings CEO Eli Ostreicher. “We are completely confident that with our world class customer service and industry leading rates, that once you embark with us you will never journey with anybody else.”

SOURCE Regal Wings

Post a comment!

FAA Approves ASAP Safety Reporting Program Now Across Contiguous US

Air Charter Safety FoundationThe Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) is pleased to announce that both the FAA Central Region and FAA Northwest Mountain Region have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that allows charter operators, corporate flight departments and fractional program managers to participate in the Air Charter Safety Foundation’s Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP).

The ACSF-managed ASAP program is now approved in the contiguous United States including the FAA Eastern, Great Lakes, Central, Southern, Southwest, Western-Pacific and Northwest Mountain Regions.

ASAP is an FAA/industry partnership that provides a near consequence-free environment, whereby the participants can identify safety issues and report information that can be critical in identifying potential precursors to accidents.

ASAP“A confidential, non-punitive reporting program is an important cornerstone to developing a robust safety management system,” said ACSF President Bryan Burns. “Company employees are more likely to report events when they have confidence that their reports will be used to produce positive results, and not to place blame.”

Burns noted, “Companies that have implemented an Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) have learned a wealth of information regarding safety-related events that otherwise would have gone undetected until a major event occurred.”

By enrolling in ASAP, companies can benefit from viewing de-identified safety event reports from other participating companies. The value of the program is the collective volume of data that can be reviewed for specific safety patterns. By identifying trends early, the company can implement corrective action through changes in their policies, procedures, and rules.

Post a comment!

Airnet Acquired by Kalitta Charters

Columbus Business First
By Evan Weese, August 4, 2015

Kalitta Charters Cargo Passenger AmbulanceYpsilanti, Michigan-based Kalitta Charters LLC has purchased operational assets of Columbus-based AirNet Systems Inc., a specialized cargo carrier that has struggled to overcome a plunge in demand for flying canceled bank checks over the past decade.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“We’re buying the people,” said Doug Kalitta, president of Kalitta Charters. “They’ve been in business for 40 years. They’ve scaled down and they really kept their best people.”

Kalitta provides air charter services for passenger, cargo, and medical transport.

AirNet operated under a court-appointed receiver since early 2014.  Founded in 1974, the company was publicly traded from 1996 through 2008, when it was taken private.

AirNet employed more than 1,000, many in Columbus, until its main source of business dried up when banks were authorized in 2004 to clear checks by sending digital images instead of physically transporting canceled checks.

“From the check side of things, obviously none of that exists anymore,” said Mark Simone, an executive with AirNet who spearheaded the sale of assets out of receivership.  “(Now) it’s radioactive pharmaceuticals, auto parts, getting parts to airplanes, organs for procurement.”

Kalitta Charters, which operates a fleet of 40 aircraft for flying passengers and cargo with quick response times, also was drawn to the company’s aircraft maintenance operations.  “That’s one of the things we’re real excited about,” Kalitta said.

Kalitta plans to begin hiring.  “We’re looking for definitely another dozen pilots,” Kalitta said.

Katlitta’s full fleet for passenger, cargo and ambulance is available ONLY in FlightList PRO.

AirNet’s full fleet for cargo charters is available ONLY in FlightList PRO.

Columbus Business First

Post a comment!

Rolling Stones Lease Swift Air B737, Give Plane Special Upgrade…

Rolling Stones’ private jet gets upgrade at KGSO

Rolling Stones Private Jet

H. SCOTT HOFFMANN/News & Record
Blaine Clark, Brady Stakes and Roger Stakes (l-r) from Solo Graphic install the Rolling Stones’ logo on a 737 jet in Greensboro, N.C. on Tuesday, June 2, 2015.

(Winston-Salem Journal, June 4 2015)  –  I can’t imagine the Rolling Stones’ jet without a plush couch, a bar, mirrors on the ceiling and bedrooms in the back.

Back when my life was devoted to term papers and SAT scores, I caught stories and photos of their depraved mid-air parties with the longing imagination only an adolescent boy can appreciate.

The tour plane I saw Tuesday resonated with one stark message: We’re all a lot older.

Especially the Stones.

Swift Air, which flies elite sports teams and pop stars around North America, was putting final touches on the Boeing 737-400 that will take the Stones on their 2015 “Zip Code” tour beginning this week.

Rolling Stones Tour Plane Interior

H. SCOTT HOFFMANN/News & Record
Boris Van Lier, chief operating officer at Swift Air, stands inside the Rolling Stones’ 737 jet that is being leased from Swift for the rock band’s North American tour.

The Phoenix-based company’s operations center is at Piedmont Triad International Airport, where it maintains the nine planes it uses for those contracts and leisure flights.

Inside, the plane was filled with comfortable brown, leather seats suitable for the Morgan Stanley board of directors.

But my inner adolescent beamed when I saw the white exterior plastered with the 10-foot crimson lips and tongue logo that has defined the Stones for 45 years.

Continued…  Full article & photos here.  

Courtesy Richard M. Barron/News & Record

Post a comment!