Major private jet operators apply for Payroll Support Program Extension Payments

The U.S. Treasury Department has revealed the list of aviation providers who have applied for the $16 billion allocated for industry workers’ payroll support.

The Payroll Support Program extension (PSP2) under Subtitle A of Title IV of Division N of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (PSP Extension Law) provides payroll support to passenger air carriers and certain contractors for the continuation of payment of employee wages, salaries, and benefits.

A total of up to $15 billion is available for passenger air carriers, and up to $1 billion is available for certain contractors. As specified in section 403 of the PSP Extension Law, the amount to be received by each passenger air carrier or contractor is based on its payroll. According to the Treasury website, funds received by these air carriers and contractors must exclusively be used for the continuation of payment of employee wages, salaries, and benefits.

Part 121 carriers – scheduled airlines like American and Delta – have already been allocated over $12 billion. Below are some notable private aviation companies that have applied for payroll support in this follow-up program. The amount requested was not revealed.

Payroll Support Program extension (PSP2) applicants

• Advanced Air, LLC, Hawthorne, CA – operates Surf Air’s California shared flights
• Clay Lacy Aviation, Inc., Van Nuys, CA
• Delux Public Charter, LLC, Dallas, TX – better known as the JSX part of JetSuite
• Dreamline Aviation, Van Nuys, CA
• Dumont Aviation Group, Inc., New Castle, DE
• Elevate Jet, LLC, Seabrook, NH – related to Private Jet Services Group
• Exclusive Jets, LLC, Kinston, NC – better known as Fly Exclusive
• Executive Flight Services, LLC, Lenexa, KS – better known as Airshare
• Flexjet, LLC, Cleveland, OH – Part of OneSky Flight and Directional AViation
• Hopscotch Air, Inc., White Plains, NY
• International Jet Aviation Services, Inc., Centennial, CO
• Jet Linx Aviation, LLC, Omaha, NE
• Jetselect, LLC, Columbus, OH – bought last year by Jet Edge
• Northern Jet Management, Inc., Grand Rapids, MI
• Priester Aviation, Inc., Wheeling, IL
• PrivateFly, LLC, Ft. Lauderdale, FL- Part of OneSky Flight and Directional Aviation
• Red Wing Aeroplane, LLC, Bay City, WI – Bought by Vista Global last year
• Sentient Jet, LLC, Quincy, MA – Part of OneSky Flight and Directional Aviation
• Superior Air Charter, LLC, Dallas, TX – Better know as the JetSuite part of JetSuiteX and later JSX
• Tradewind Aviation, LLC, Oxford, CT
• XOJET Aviation, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

The program is widely credited with helping private jet operators surge back to around 90% of pre-COVID-19 volume. Despite the strong recovery, many companies are still flying below 2019 levels with strong downward price pressure in the charter market.

Business aviation accounts for over one million jobs in the U.S. However, there was pushback last time from both within and outside the industry. You can view the full list on the Treasury Department website.

To receive funds, companies have to show both need and that their ongoing business is viable. JetSuite cited its financial condition before bankruptcy as why it could not apply for CARES Act funds. After emerging from Chapter 11 in September, it received $6.5 million.