Fractional Charter
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Under a joint venture with the People’s Global charter market experiences rebound Republic of China, NetJets China plans to manage and charter aircraft, such oming off its long slump following the onset of the 2008 reces- as these Challengers, that are wholly sion, air charter has enjoyed a generally good year around the owned by customers, rather than C introducing fractional ownership. globe, and there are indications that the demand will continue to pick up as the world economy finally rights itself, and charter continues to adapt to the needs of travelers around the world. Here’s a look at the SPECIAL REPORT current state of charter markets in North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East. & by James Wynbrandt North America hourly rates for light, midsize and large- FRACTIONAL CHARTER Following two slack years, North cabin aircraft over the past six months American air charter flights increased has shown fluctuations from 10 percent almost 9 percent (8.9%) from August above to 3 percent below the previous 2012 to July 2013 over the same period year’s pricing, and domestic operators Challenger 300 for travelers flying to and Whatever the discrepancies in data, a year before, according to aviation complain that aggressive pricing by com- from designated zones. Sentient, which several major Europe-based providers MARKET research and services firm Argus Inter- petitors keeps rates depressed. claims more than 4,000 active customers, report strong growth over the past year, 21 Global charter market experiences rebound part 1 national. Charter flight activity for all Sales of jet cards, whose flight time is saw strong demand in the charter market due as much to business model adjust- 24 Big four national frax list dwindles to two cabin categories was up for the period. flown under Part 135, also appear on the recently for super-midsize and large-cabin ments as to overall market demand. Small and midsize cabins saw double- increase. Andrew Collins, president of aircraft, and created 25-hour jet cards Patrick Margetson-Rushmore, chief 26 Regional fractionals digit jumps (11.3 percent and 15.3 per- charter broker Sentient Jet, said the com- providing fixed pricing, guaranteed avail- executive of charter management com- cent, respectively); large-cabin flight pany’s jet card product has experienced ability and a hedge against any pany London Executive Aviation 28 Bankruptcy strands Avantair share owners activity rose 7.6 percent and turboprops “its strongest summer of flying in five fuel price increases. Meanwhile (LEA), said this July was “the best were up 3.1 percent. years, and we had one of our best months Sentient has continued a focus on month we have had in the last five Overall charter activity within North ever this past July.” developing “preferred relation- years,” with charter providing the America declined by 0.8 percent, accord- Bombardier’s Flexjet, whose fleet of ships within the operator commu- bulk of the company’s 25-percent ing to FAA data, but that was offset by Learjet 40XRs, 45XRs and 60XRs and nity,” to source the best available increase in revenue for the May- increases in charter flights to Asia (up 15 Challenger 300s and 604s is operated by aircraft for customers, and has July period. LEA operates 29 air- hile the charter industry the company’s shutdown will affect to have decided they are better off Bombardier Globals on its behalf. percent) and Latin America (up 6.2 per- Texas-based Jet Solutions, reported 48 a guaranteed revenue program craft from a Citation Mustang cent), while charter to Europe was up 1 percent growth in jet card sales in this where it will pre-purchase hours to Dassault Falcon 2000s, based has seen some changes the fractional business. (See story focusing on manufacturing rather (See story on page 1.) percent, the agency reported. year’s first quarter, compared with the on the aircraft. from London to Moscow. W this year, the fractional- on page 8.) than aircraft operations. Part 1 of AIN’s charter/fractional Charter’s growth comes at the expense same period last year. (Flexjet’s charter California-based JetSuite, Patrick Margetson- Athens-based Gainjet increased share business is undergoing a Of course, Avantair is the For a short time it appeared special report, along with special of fractional aircraft flying (down 8.5 per- arm brokers flights rather than using the which provides charter on its fleet Rushmore, its charter business over the LEA chief executive wrenching transition, with the second fractional operator to have that the fractional-share industry coverage of these major develop- cent, according to Argus), attributable in Flexjet fleet.) NetJets reported sales of its of Phenom 100s and Citation past year by reshuffling its fleet, shutdown of Avantair and the exited the business in recent times. would return to one dominated ments in this issue, explores the part to Avantair’s unraveling (see page 8) Marquis Jet Card contributed to an over- CJ3, has partnered with Singapore Air- said marketing director Andrew Hallak, announced sale of Bombardier’s CitationAir, Cessna’s fractional- by three large players, but that is changes in both industry segments and CitationAir unwinding its fractional all 50-percent increase in the company’s lines to provide service and connections phasing out its super-midsize jet fleet in Flexjet to Flight Options parent share, charter and management divi- not the case because on September during the past year and provides program, as well as to a decline in Part first-half sales. for some preferred airline passengers. favor of “focusing on large-capacity pri- 91 flying. “Overall the pie doesn’t appear Now JetSuite has announced partnering vate aircraft.” The Gainjet executive fleet Directional Capital. sion, is all but non-existent after the 5, Bombardier announced the a snapshot of the current state of to be growing, but the slices are changing Market Drivers with Leverage Global Partners, a network ranges from the Gulfstream G450 and Avantair, whose fleet of 56 effi- company’s parent, Textron, decided sale of Flexjet to Directional the charter and fractional-share shape,” said Argus CEO Joe Moeggenberg. In addition to an improving economy, of boutique real estate brokerages, to co- G550 to the Bombardier Global Express cient, fast and roomy Piaggio that aircraft operations weren’t Capital for $185 million. (See segments. In AIN’s November issue, Charter’s growth trend appears to be con- charter sales are being driven by increas- promote their offerings among customers. XRS and a Boeing 757-200 and 737-400. Avanti twin turboprops domi- in its best interests. CitationAir story on page 1.) A day later, various issues affecting the charter tinuing. According to Argus TraqPak ing product offerings, partnerships and XOJet and TWC Aviation, two major Thanks to a “booming” market in Rus- nated the turboprop fractional is finishing out its remaining VistaJet announced a move into and fractional-share industries will numbers, July marked the 10th consecu- alliances among providers, and the avail- California-based charter operators, have sia and a “dynamic” Middle East, Switzer- market, was forced into invol- contracts, but it won’t be surprising the U.S. charter market in an alli- be explored, including what happens tive month of an increase in Part 135 fly- ability of empty legs and one-way pricing. partnered to give members of each others’ land-based charter broker Vertis Aviation untary Chapter 7 bankruptcy in to see the company disap- ance with Jet Aviation when a key fractional player ing, and the month’s flight totals were 17.8 Flexjet’s Coastal Connect program, a card programs guaranteed access and pre- has seen “about a 12-percent increase August. Avantair accounted for pear in the not-too- Flight Services, suddenly shuts down, and how that percent over the previous July’s. feature introduced on its Flexjet 25 jet card ferred rates aboard their respective fleets. year-on-year so far,” said partner Jeffrey The price of charter has remained last December, provides special incen- Emmenis. Vertis has exclusive representa- a significant amount of private distant future as which is to affects the owners, the state of the inconsistent. Avinode’s tracking of tive rates for cross-country travel on the Europe tion for a fleet of more than half a dozen turboprop traffic in the U.S., and aircraft manu- operate a empty-leg charter market, charter Conflicting signs of an economic jets from Bombardier Global XRS to Air- it will take some time to see how facturers seem fleet of 12 pilot training issues and more. n rebound in Europe are mirrored in the bus Corporate Jets. One indication of its region’s air charter data. Avinode, the growth: an independently managed Vertis Swedish online charter marketplace and Aviation opened in London this year. data provider, reports the total value of Slovenia-based Elit’Avia has also ben- requested departures in Europe increased efited from growing demand in Russia by approximately 30 percent during the over the past year, adding three Bombar- first six months of this year compared dier Global 6000s and a Global XRS to with the same period last year. Avinode its fleet in the last year. To improve ser- sees an even more encouraging increase vice to clients in the U.S.–and attract new (80%) in value in unique requests for ones–Elit’Avia opened a sales office in flights over the past two years, driven by Atlanta this year, said managing director increasing demand for large-cabin, long- Michel Coulomb. range charters. (The Avinode system fil- Last December, the UK’s Hangar 8 ters out duplicate broker quote requests (see article on page 70) acquired Interna- for a single flight.) tional Jet Club, creating a fleet of some Yet Eurocontrol reports charter flight four dozen business jets, the majority of departures from Europe were down 4.1 per- them large-cabin.