Air Charter?

Kansas City-based Executive AirShare, one of the largest regional aircraft ownership companies in the U.S., has just upped their order of Embraer Phenom 300 very light jets. They had already doubled their order back in May of 2008, and already has 43 Phenom 100 light jets ordered, with options for another 12. This puts their Phenom 300 order to four aircraft and four options, and marks a huge expansion of the company’s already grandiose fleet mostly comprised of King Airs.

Of course, the people at the Brazil-based Embraer aren’t complaining; they’ve been working away at a backlog of orders that totalled $18.8 billion at the end of 2007. The company has certainly made a name for itself since it’s founding in 1969.

India’s private aviation industry continues to soar, even though this year is the worst for the aviation business. More and more air charter carriers are applying for Non-Scheduled Operator’s Permits, or NSOPs, which are permits that let carriers engage in non-scheduled operations, however without posting fares or timetables.

According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), so far 30 companies have acquired NSOPs, 11 of those NSOPs having been issued last year. The reasons for this surge in business for the private aviation industry in that country is a huge increase in the millionaire population (22.6% last year), most of which are entrepreneurs who often make arrangements for last-minute travel to less-travelled destinations. Thus, there is a growth in demand for this service, and the demand comes from people who can afford said service.

I rest my case.

A new private aviation company in Europe has recently ordered 60 LearJet XR aircraft. Jet Republic, headquartered in Lisbon, is making this 1.5 billion pound purchase in the hopes of flying to 1,000 airports throughout Europe while being 100% carbon neutral. The news comes as a challenge to NetJets, notable for creating the first fractional aircraft ownership program.

Jet Republic will have two programmes for members to choose from: the Private Jet Card, which grants members flight time for a certain minimum purchase with no other commitments, and Share Ownership, which consists of purchasing or leasing a share of a Learjet 60 XR depending on how many flight hours you want (minimum of 50 hours per year).

The Very Light Jet hype has kept Eclipse Aviation in the spotlight for quite some time now, and the company has proved itself so far by surmounting several challenges. However, the hype puts a great deal of pressure on the company. In fact, certain businesses are even relying on Eclipse just to stay afloat.

With this pressure also comes a confident and mostly loyal customer base. Randall Sanada, chairman of Jet-Alliance Inc., and Graham Casson, owner and CEO of OurPlane Fractional Aircraft, are part of this base, and they praise Eclipse Aviation and it’s CEO, Roel Pieper, who sets more realistic goals than his predecessor.

The question remains: Is this enough to keep Eclipse Aviation from becoming just another victim of being over-hyped? We’ll just have to wait and see.

As mentioned in August 23rd’s post, the FAA conducted a special review of the Eclipse 500 due to security concerns. The Very Light Jet has passed this review with little to no problems, further showing that the jet is not as unsafe as Eclipse competitors would like people to believe, but is in fact fully certified in accordance with all safety regulations regarding things such as stall speeds, aircraft trim, cockpit displays and flaps.

However, even as Eclipse executives are rejoicing and flaunting their “I told you so’s” contentedly, the safety of the Eclipse 500 is still under investigation in Washington where a hearing will be held September 17th. This just goes to show how much this aircraft comes off as “too good to be true.”

With a cruising speed of 559mph and a range of around 6,840 miles, the Dassault Falcon 7X was first presented to the public at the 2005 Paris Air Show. However, no air charter operators in the U.S. have added any to their fleet, until now. Delta AirElite, a subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, has proudly become the first charter operator with the Falcon 7X in its fleet.

The Chief Operating Officer of the company, Curtis Kruger, says that his company is always looking to provide customers with the highest quality products, services and experiences possible, and calls the Falcon 7X a “natural fit.”

Along with an unidentified German company, Hero Motors Ltd. of India is hoping to get into the aircraft manufacturing business with its subsidiary, Hero Aviation. Plans are to set up an economic zone in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, start building a facility by early 2009, and start manufacturing light aircraft after the facility’s completion.

This comes as a response to India’s booming air transport market, with Indians becoming more and more interested in aviation and in being part of the industry. Of course, the company needs permission from the government before starting work on this project, but if it does take off, Hero Motors will not only be the largest manufacturer of motorcycles in India, but will also be the first light aircraft manufacturer in that country.

Eclipse Aviation’s Very light jet (VLJ), the Eclipse 500, has been subject to much controversy mainly regarding it’s safety. It can’t carry more than 10, 000 pounds, has no bathroom, and is much cheaper and more fuel-efficient than a regular sized business jet.

Because of safety concerns from back in 2006, the FAA has decided to conduct a special certification review (SCR) of the popular plane, and has been conducting it since August 11th. Jerry Mack, former safety executive at Boeing, is heading the review with a team of seven FAA experts.

While Eclipse’s competitors and skeptics let their criticism flow regarding the 500, the company welcomes the review and hope to show that their most notable achievement in the air charter business is indeed safe, real and worth using.

Sentient Jet Holdings, a leading air charter operator, will sell three of its business units, Jet Membership, Retail Charter Brokerage, and Fuel Management, to the MGOP. These three units will form a company of their own lead by former Sentient CEO Steve Hankin, and the remaining units will form another separate company with Greg Campbell and Jake Cartwright in charge of it’s two divisions. Greg explains the action as part of a plan to ensure Sentient’s survival and success for the years to come.

Cirrus, while known for their smaller piston aircraft, have developed a jet which now looks to be entering the realm of the Very Light Jet (VLJ) air taxi market. SATSair, a small air charter firm, will be the launch air taxi customer for the much anticipated Cirrus Jet.