JetSuite will be widening its wingspan next month by launching a charter broker service, CEO Alex Wilcox told Elite Traveler during the NBAA convention in Orlando.
(Read Elite Traveler‘s Leaders in Luxury interview with Alex Wilcox here.)
He said “everyday” the company gets calls requesting missions beyond the capabilities of its current fleet, flights to Hawaii for example, and “we’re leaving money on the table.” The broker service will enable JetSuite to offer jets beyond its current fleet.
The current fleet is a combination of 21 Phenom 100 and Citation CJ3 aircraft, and Wilcox said he is targeting the first quarter of 2015 to announce his “next platform,” which he said will include “bigger” jets.
Another potential new offering is aircraft management for Phenom owners, an option Wilcox said the company is currently studying.
Related
One place JetSuite won’t be going in terms of fleet operations is Europe, where Wilcox feels there is “too much regulation for too small a market.” He said the operator has robust opportunities domestically, adding, “Texas has more private jet flying than all of Europe.”
The company is currently on track for 50 percent annualized growth, though as Wilcox said, “The whole thesis of moving up from first class to private jets is gone.” He said current customers are the main source of leads for new customers, and virtually all new customers are already flying privately. “It’s a share game,” he noted.
JetSuite recently was ranked fourth in hours flown among FAR Part 135 operators, according to ARGUS International. Before moving to private aviation, Wilcox spent his career among innovators in the commercial segment, including Southwest Airlines, Virgin Atlantic Airways, and JetBlue.
Content from our partners
