October 7, 2023
Last week Flexjet announced it was launching a new program adding to its offering of jet cards, fractional ownership and leases.
Corporate Solutions by Flexjet is the newest program from the Cleveland-based operator, in this case offering travelers access to the company’s fleet of private aircraft flown by crews dedicated to a single aircraft, part of its Red Label brand. The goal, according to the announcement, is to partner with corporate flight departments to enhance capabilities and efficiencies while maintaining the high standards expected by their executives. The new division will focus its expertise on corporate flight departments that maintain and operate their own fleet of aircraft. Flexjet says it already serves several Fortune 1000 companies with a combination of supplemental lift and consultation to achieve more effective utilization of their existing fleets.
Some of the solutions include:
“We created this program in direct response to a trend among corporate flight departments seeking to deploy capital more thoughtfully, while also expanding their capabilities,” said Michael Silvestro, Flexjet’s Chief Executive Officer. “Corporate flight departments excel at meeting their companies’ travel needs. However, they often face challenges when the mission calls for a larger or smaller aircraft, multiple aircraft or a ready standby. Corporate Solutions by Flexjet works with flight department managers on a consultative basis, identifying these challenges and finding the most effective solution for their overall operation.”
According to a press release, “One of Flexjet’s most distinctive features is that each member of the Corporate Solutions team is an Airline Transport-rated pilot, averaging more than two decades of service. They are able to work with senior flight department personnel, who also are current or former pilots, because they speak the same language, grasp the technical requirements and understand the operational challenges they face.”
Matt Doyle, Flexjet’s Executive Vice President of Sales, an experienced Part 91 and Part 135 turbine pilot, added, “With our own operations control center staffed 24/7/365, safety department, mission planners and customer service representatives, we expect flight departments will benefit not only from our infrastructure but also from Flexjet’s more than two decades of experience in developing tailored solutions to meet the travel needs of organizations of all sizes.”
In an email interview with Private Jet Card Comparisons, Doyle added, “Our Corporate Solutions teams work with each flight department to find the best possible solution for their needs. In some cases, that may be a standard fractional or lease product, either in a cabin class that they already own or in a cabin class that provides greater efficiency for certain flights. In other cases, a short two to four-month lease to cover a maintenance event or a one-off trip to an international destination in one our Gulfstream G650’s may be the best solution.”
Asked to cite a couple examples, Doyle said, “We serve a corporate flight department in the northeast that has a large-cabin and super-mid fleet and their appetite to acquire additional aircraft was minimal. However, we discovered the company needed to make weekly trips to New York. It was not cost effective for them to do that in the large-cabin aircraft in their fleet. We reviewed their flying hours with the chief pilot to determine roughly how many hours a year they spent on short trips. With that information, we developed an access program in a light jet offering that aligned with their forecasted hours for those short missions. Having a light jet option available to them resulted in significant savings.”
As another example, Doyle pointed to a Bay Area flight department. “(Their fleet) was comprised of light jets to cover their typical short missions to city pairs including Los Angeles, Austin and Seattle. As their business evolved, their teams found themselves making trips to Asia and Europe for a multi-year project. Adding a large cabin, long-range aircraft was not realistic for the company. Instead, Flexjet developed a Global Access lease for them. Our Global Access solution is a stand-alone lease that grants them access to our fleet of large-cabin, long-range aircraft. In addition, their hourly rates decrease the longer the distance flown.”
We also asked if the new program was open to interested parties outside of corporate flight department? Doyle told us, “At Flexjet, we work with our owners and prospective owners to find the best possible solutions for their unique needs. The main differentiator with Corporate Solutions is that we are utilizing a sales team that has a significant amount of flying experience in Part 91 and Part 135 flight operations. This allows our teams to better understand the unique needs of the flight department leaders.”
Flexjet last year took delivery of its first Gulfstream G650 and has been focused on its flagship its high-end product that provides dedicated crews and customized designer interiors. Flexjet’s jet card product remains limited to its Embraer Phenom 300 and Bombardier Challenger 300 aircraft. You can read our full Jet Card insider report here.
