Private Jet Charter News

Airline Creates All-Business London/New York Service

BA1 lifted off from London City Airport today beginning that airline’s attempt to create a successful all-luxury airline service between London and New York.  Sounds vaguely familiar?  That’s because several other airlines have tried, and failed, to create the same service.  Eos, MAXjet, and Silverjet all served the luxury market for a short time during great economic prosperity before ultimately failing. Why does BA think it will be any more successful now when the world economy is sputtering and they themselves are planning to cut routes and ground 9% of their fleet this winter due to “declining advanced bookings”?
 
I see several shortcomings with their service.  First, choosing the Airbus A318, an aircraft that does not possess the range for transoceanic flights (East to West, against the prevailing headwinds) seems a dubious way to start off.  BA sugarcoats this by departing from London City Airport, which will allow very short check-in and boarding times, but has a short runway “forcing a stop in Shannon, Ireland for fuel and to clear customs.”  To be clear, it is not just the short runway at London City causing a needed stop - the A318 simply cannot fly the distance without refueling.  Next, and to me, the elephant in the room is the fact that BA is attempting to supply a private aviation product aboard a commercial airliner, flown by a commercial airline, along commercial routes, and into commercial hub airports. 

Ultimately, no matter how flat, wide, or comfy the seats are, despite the nearly endless on-board entertainment options, and the ability to connect to the internet, BA’s luxury service is still airline travel.  Travel that is subject to adverse weather, airport congestion, equipment malfunctions, and delayed departure/arrival times.  Does it matter how quickly and painlessly London City Airport makes the check-in process if the aircraft has not yet arrived from New York on the East-bound leg?
 
BA should know better and leave the luxury private aviation segment to private aviation.  You just can’t put a shine on a sneaker.

NHL Season Suffers No Disruptions

US and Canada Settle Air Dispute

Following a meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced an agreement in principal that would allow Air Canada Jetz to honor its contracts.  Until this meeting it looked as though 6 major sports teams in Canada would have to find alternative transportation while in the states as the USDOT was preventing them from flying to consecutive cites in the US without first returning to Canada.  While few details have been made public, the airline is now allowed to fly teams to their scheduled cities, and vice-versa for U.S. based operators flying team within Canada. 

I guess each government got five for fighting and then went back to business.

NHL Impacted by Fight Between USDOT and CTA

The punches are flying already and the season hasn’t even started yet.  Last week Air Canada Jetz charter service, which has contracts. with 7 pro sports teams, filed a lawsuit to block enforcement of a USDOT order that Air Canada cancel its season-long contract.

The underlying problem is that Air Canada has been contracted to fly Canadian sports teams between cities in the United States without first returning to Canada.  This would be a violation of Cabotage, the commonly used moniker defining the law and treaty that prohibits foreign airlines from picking up passengers in the U.S. and flying them between U.S. destinations.  An example would be Air Canada flying their jet to Boston to pick up the Red Sox then flying to New York for series against the Yankees, then flying the Sox back to Boston.  Similarly, U.S. airlines are banned from doing the same in foreign countries.  The rules are designed to ensure that U.S. flights are flown by U.S. carriers.  So, the USDOT issued an order for Air Canada to cancel some of its contracts.

The Canadian Transportation Agency retaliated by banning flights by U.S. carriers that require multiple stops within Canada forcing a U.S. charter carrier, owning contracts with 10 NHL teams this season, to arrange for a Canadian charter to make intra-Canada flights last weekend for the Florida Panthers, rather than carry the NHL team itself.

The interesting thing about this fracas is that for years, the USDOT has allowed Canadian carriers to fly sports teams on intra-U.S. flights if the teams ultimately would return to Canada. The entire season of flights was considered one charter with the final destination being a city in Canada.  And, U.S. airlines ferrying American teams were permitted to fly within Canada.  So, everyone was happy.
 
But then the Air Line Pilots Association union, two U.S. aviation trade groups and a U.S. charter carrier began calling for a penalty last year because Air Canada won DOT-approved contracts to fly two American sports teams - the NHL’s Bruins and the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks. The pilots want to ensure that U.S. flights are operated by U.S. pilots. In an order to Air Canada’s Washington lawyer, the USDOT said it had discovered that the airline previously carried individuals on Bruins and Bucks charters who were transported solely within the U.S. and never carried across the border during the season, contrary to the DOT’s agreement with the airline and issued the stop order.

As a fan of NHL Hockey (and my Philadelphia Flyers!), and having been in the position of having to deal with Cabotage regularly for the charters we arrange, I am disappointed that this argument has gotten this far.  Many NHL teams are struggling financially.  Small market cites, small fan base, poor TV ratings and revenues all conspire to place financial handcuffs on teams.  Having to now deal with a major travel disruption on the eve of the season will most likely cause irreparable damage to at least one team.  We’ll keep an eye on this and update as things develop.

Emivest also announced the first flight last Friday of the SJ30 scheduled for delivery this fall to actor Morgan Freeman.

Emivest also announced the first flight last Friday of the SJ30 scheduled for delivery this fall to actor Morgan Freeman.  The SJ30 built by Emivest (originally Sino Swearingen) is a new breed of light jet capable of nonstop travel between New York and Los Angeles, the first light jet capable of doing so. 

The aircraft, S/N 010, was flown by Emivest production pilot Bryan Dennison and chief test pilot John Siemens, and is to enter Jet Works Air Center for completion within the next week. Freeman’s SJ30 installation will include a SelCal high-frequency radio package, Garmin 500 avionics with XM weather and an entertainment package that includes XM radio.  And, with the capability of providing sea-level pressure at 41,000’ passengers will arrive fresher and more energized than comparable light jets.

VP of Marketing & Sales Mark Fairchild commented: “We are looking forward to delivering the aircraft to Mr. Freeman, and thus help him in checking his SJ30 purchase off his bucket list.”

The premier event for business aviation, NBAA’s Annual Meeting & Convention brings the business aviation world together each year.

The premier event for business aviation, NBAA’s Annual Meeting & Convention brings the business aviation world together each year. NBAA2009 will be held from October 20 to 22 in Orlando, FL, at the Orange County Convention Center, with a static display of more than 125 aircraft at Orlando Executive Airport. Over 30,000 representatives from every segment of the business aviation industry, from 82 countries around the world, will be present at this one-of-a-kind event.  You can expect to see NetJets, Marquis jet, Sentient, as well as Gulfstream, Hawker-Beechcraft, and Cessna all displaying their wares.

NBAA09 is especially important due to the economic and political climate private aviation has found itself in over the last 12-18 months.  With private aircraft singled out by congress and shareholders as extravagant wastes many corporate flight departments are fighting for their lives.  A main goal of the convention will be to help change public opinion regarding these essential business tools from being labeled as “private jets” to the more applicable and politically-correct “business jet”.

I will be attending the conference and will provide an insider’s perspective into the show and the “state of the union” for general aviation.  Follow me on Twitter (bizjetkev) for special coverage and offers during the convention.