Air Taxi / Air Charter Association (ATXA) Industry News

Will the HondaJet Really Capture 25% of the VLJ Market?

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:29:05 GMT

Talk about a patient company when it comes to development of a new jet aircraft! Michimasa Fujino, a spokesman for Honda, announced that Honda expects the HondaJet to capture fully 25% of the very light jet aircraft market.

He compared the HondaJet to the entry of the Homda Civic years ago, and predicted a similar impact on the very light jet aircraft market. Boasting 30% lower direct operating costs than the Embraer and Cessna aircraft Honda feels it will find itself leading the very light jet aircraft marketplace with its HondaJet aircraft.

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NetJets' first Bombardier Global 6000 business jet ready for completion

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:25:02 GMT

Bombardier Aerospace and NetJets® today celebrated the first key milestone linked to last year’s historic Global aircraft sales announcement.

A special ceremony to highlight NetJets‘ first Bombardier aircraft, a Global 6000 jet, was attended by executives from NetJets and Bombardier as well as 1,000 Bombardier employees at the company’s Toronto site.

The event, held just prior to the jet’s ferry flight from the assembly line in Toronto, Ontario, to the GlobalCompletion Centre in Dorval, Québec, marked the official hand over of the first aircraft from the build team to the completions team.

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Cessna Produces 400th Mustang In Independence

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:27:04 GMT

It has taken slightly more than 5 years for the 400th Citation Mustang off the assembly line at the Cessna Independence, Kansas facility. The small business jet\'s first delivery was in November 2006. Cessna says the Mustang\'s most common use is corporate business or personal travel. Its second most common use is air taxi service. The Mustang is also being used for special missions as medical air transport and as an airline flight training tool.

The Independence, Kansas plant opened in 1996. It began manufacturing the Citation Mustang in 2004.

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JetSelect Aviation Announces a 20% Fleet Expansion for Private Jet Charter to Kick Off 2012

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:22:53 GMT

JetSelect continues to stay on course with its plan to expand their fleet of private jets for charter. They have strategically positioned the private jets for on demand private charter across the US. JetSelect Aviation can have a private jet ready where you need them, when you need them. During the months of December 2011 and January 2012 JetSelect Aviation added four jets to their fleet of owned and managed airplanes. These additions will enhance their nationally distributed fleet of jets by placing a Lear 55 and a Lear 60, both Mid-size private jets, in the South Florida market at the Ft. Lauderdale Executive Airport (KFXE). The Hawker 800XP aircraft will strengthen their Northeast fleet and will be based at the Teterboro Airport (KTEB). JetSelect has positioned the large cabin jet, a Challenger 604, at their home base at the Port Columbus International Airport in Columbus, Ohio (KCMH).

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VLJ Air-Taxi Operator Receives FAA Approval For iPad In The Cockpit

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:20:24 GMT

Jet-taxi service Linear Air, has received approval from the FAA to utilize advanced charting and operations technology afforded by the integration of Apple iPads into the company’s flight operations. Linear Air is the first commercial air carrier in the FAA’s Eastern Region to receive such approval.

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Air Taxi to Heathrow Airport

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:14:37 GMT

For well-heeled travellers needing a rapid transfer between London Airports a bespoke travel method has been launched in the form of an air taxi to Heathrow Airport. Operating between Luton, Gatwick and London City airports, Air Harrods use Sikorsky 909 turbine helicopters to reach any of the major London air hubs in less than twenty minutes. The executive helicopters seat up to five passengers in the greatest of comfort and can also collect passengers from the West London Heliport located on the Thames in Battersea, West London. Passengers land adjacent to the British Airways Terminal Five and ground transportation is provided to the other terminals at Heathrow Airport.

Meet XOJET CEO Blair LaCorte

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:13:31 GMT

Some things in life have stripes, and there is just no use questioning it. They include, but are not limited to, zebras, New York Yankees uniforms, inmates’ clothing from old prison movies, barber poles, and the American flag.

Private jets always had them, too. In fact, you would be more likely to encounter a zebra waving the American flag while watching an old prison movie than a private jet without custom stripes. That is, until Blair LaCorte officially took over as CEO of XOJET earlier this year and asked, “Why stripes?”

Commercial aerospace clients gave more biz to New Mexico firms

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:12:33 GMT

The recession hit New Mexico’s aviation industry hard, but many companies did as well, if not better, this year than before the economy tanked.

Bill McMillan, co-founder of the New Mexico Aviation/Aerospace Association, said local aircraft manufacturers and repair companies experienced a significant rebound in demand, particularly from commercial aviation.

GDS Effective to Reach Travel Agents at Point of Sale

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:34:39 GMT

Global Distribution System (GDS) platforms and GDS Shopping Displays are crucial to travel agents with 84 percent of agents reporting they were using their GDS platform the same amount or more often than in the past. As many as 35 percent of agents said they are using GDS more, a new TravelClick study reports.

The results are from the 2011 Global Travel Agent GDS Study, a bi-annual survey of global travel agents commissioned by TravelClick. 75 percent of respondents indicated that they were using GDS Shopping Displays the same amount or more often than in the past, with 27 percent stating that they are using GDS Shopping Displays more.

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Travel Agents Increase Use of GDS to Book Hotel Rooms

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:33:31 GMT

Findings from the 2011 Global Travel Agent GDS Study, a bi-annual survey of global travel agents commissioned by TravelClick ( www.TravelClick.com ), the leading global provider of revenue generating solutions for hoteliers, clearly demonstrates how crucial Global Distribution System (GDS) platforms and GDS Shopping Displays are to travel agents:

84 percent of respondents indicated that they were using their GDS platform the same amount or more often than in the past, with 35 percent stating that they are using GDS more.

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ACHAT Hotels switches to Sabre Hospitality Solutions for its comprehensive distribution solutions

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:36:45 GMT

Sabre Hospitality Solutions, the industry's leading global hospitality technology company, announced today that ACHAT Hotels, a German hotel group has switched its 27 properties across Germany, Hungary and Austria to Sabre Hospitality Solutions' distribution technology and marketing services. ACHAT Hotels will use Sabre Hospitality Solutions' SynXis Central Reservation System to connect seamlessly to all channels including the distribution of rooms and rates through all four major Global Distribution Systems (GDSs), as well as hundreds of online travel agents.

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Northwest Flyers adds fourth Cessna Citation Mustang

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:39:26 GMT

Northwest Flyers, Inc., a Jet Charter, Aircraft Management and Acquisition Company based in the Chicago suburbs, Los Angeles and WI region adds fourth Citation Mustang to its Part 135 air carrier certificate.

The latest Mustang to be added to Northwest Flyers ever-growing fleet will be based in Rice Lake, WI. The four passenger VLJ (Very Light Jet) has proven to be the Light Jet of choice servicing the Los Angeles and Chicago based locations. This addition will now give the Minneapolis and Eau Claire WI regions the opportunity to service clients in a very practical and very comfortable jet. The Citation Mustang travels up to 350knts with a range of up to 900nm. The Mustang is capable of flying single pilot which will allow up to a five passenger load.

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Travelport Chief Envisions Better Cooperation With Airlines

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:41:44 GMT

Amidst all the kerfuffle regarding the failed attempt by American Airlines to change the way that global distribution systems operate, one of the key players in the squabble, Travelport CEO Gordon Wilson, has predicted a much more harmonious relationship between airlines and GDS companies in the future.

In a recent interview with Travel Technology Update at the Fort Lauderdale PhoCusWright conference, Wilson revealed that GDS companies are once again engaging with airlines in dialogue, and that there are many mutually beneficial plans in the offing.

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Travelport powers new customer communities with RightNow

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:43:01 GMT

Travelport, the business services provider to the global travel industry, has extended its use of RightNow to power a community for its Application Programming Interface (API) developer customers on its new Developer Network website - http://developer.travelport.com/.

The new community is designed to drive knowledge and provide instant access to the latest information for both developers and Travelport support teams alike. The solution empowers them to collaborate, share ideas, swap design tips and resolve issues fast through self-service and peer-to-peer engagements.

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Travelport and InterContinental Sign Agreement

Sat, 11 Jun 2011 18:48:41 GMT

Travelport reports a new long-term full content and technology services agreement with IHG (“InterContinental Hotels Group”), benefiting subscribers with worldwide instant access to complete rates from IHG’s more than 4,500 properties worldwide. Travelport’s Galileo, Apollo and Worldspan GDS subscribers will benefit.

IHG will also participate in advanced merchandising, pricing and connectivity solutions from Travelport, including Travelport’s enhanced Best Available Rate (BAR) Program, Travelport Complete Pricing Plus and Travelport XML Pro Technology Solution.

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Truce ended, Sabre, American Airlines sue each other

Sat, 11 Jun 2011 18:49:44 GMT

American Airlines escalated its legal campaign against the global distribution systems Wednesday by adding Sabre Holdings to its civil antitrust suit filed in April against Travelport and Orbitz while Sabre filed its own antitrust suit against American (ATW Daily News, April 14). Both actions occurred on the day that an agreed upon truce between the two companies expired (ATW Daily News, Jan. 26). AA's amended lawsuit seeks to stop "exclusionary, anti-consumer and anti-competitive business practices" of the GDSs and recover monetary damages, AA said in a statement.

Sabre, meanwhile, claimed AA is "unlawfully forcing travel agencies, travel management companies and corporations to take its Direct Connect product in order to access the airline's full fare information, which constitutes illegal 'tying.'"

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SriLankan Air Taxi launches daily flights to central hills

Sat, 11 Jun 2011 18:51:54 GMT

SriLankan Airlines has begun daily flights to Kandy in the central hills, using float planes to cut a three-hour road journey to 30 minutes for 4,900 rupees one-way and 9,800 rupees return.

Flights from Colombo which now operate from the Kelani River to the city's north are to be shifted to the Beira Lake in the central business district soon, an airline statement said.

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Canada special: Diamond left wondering if government will recognise jewel in its aerospace crown

Sat, 11 Jun 2011 18:50:45 GMT

For Peter Maurer, the new Canadian government's decision to turn down a vital loan request on 17 May does not spell the end of its D-Jet programme. But it does lengthen the odds on the single-engine personal jet ever reaching the market.

The president of Diamond Aircraft Canada spent weeks awaiting a decision by Ottawa on whether to lend the airframer $35 million. The cash would have been the last, necessary piece of a $90 million package that would have allowed Diamond to rehire 213 employees and complete certification of the D-Jet.

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Government examining airline ticket distribution

Sat, 28 May 2011 22:12:52 GMT

The U.S. government is investigating whether companies that distribute airline flight and fare information are stifling competition and violating federal antitrust laws.

The Justice Department confirmed the investigation Friday after several airlines and two leading ticket information-distribution companies said they received letters from antitrust officials.

This is the latest twist in an escalating fight between airlines and so-called global distribution systems over how air travel is sold, especially to lucrative corporate accounts. Many consumers buy tickets online directly from the airlines, but corporations often use travel agencies that get information about flights and fares from the three big distribution companies.

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How to fly Private Jets at Airline Prices

Mon, 23 May 2011 00:44:07 GMT

For the first class crowd, a private jet is the ultimate upgrade. But buying or chartering is too expensive for all but a few. So how do you get to fly on a business jet for business-class prices?

Fly empty sectors

The first option is to buy a seat on a ‘deadhead’ positioning flight. After a chartered plane has delivered its VIPs to their destination it has to fly empty back to base or onto its next pick-up point. Some charter companies offer seats on these flights at surprisingly low prices.

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