July 9, 2024
As it enters its second quarter century, Nicholas Air has taken delivery of its first large cabin jet while launching extra perks for members.
Nicholas Air has added a Gulfstream G600 ultra-long-range private jet, its first large cabin aircraft, to its fleet. At the same time, it is rolling out Nicholas Lifestyle.
CEO and Owner Nicholas J. Correnti tells Private Jet Card Comparisons that there will be more expansion in both areas.
At the same time, his namesake flight provider isn’t giving up its entry-level Phenom 100 or light jet program, something others have done as they moved to larger jets.
The factory new G600, which arrived in December, comes as the company rolls out Nicholas Lifestyle, a collection of private residences for the exclusive use of Nicholas Air jet card members.
Correnti says despite the duo of significant news items, there are no worries that the company he founded in 1997 is going on the type of massive expansion that has backfired for other flight providers.
Instead, he says the new products are a measured response to current customers.
Clients can expect the same conservative and measured approach to growth that has elevated Nicholas Air to one of the nation’s largest private jet flight providers measured by charter and fractional hours.
“We’ve always seen ourselves as an exclusive club. We are selective about who we sign up, and I know most of our members,” Correnti says.
First on the Gulfstream.
Correnti says it is the same path that led him to add the Citation Latitudes and, more recently, Challenger 350s.
“Our owners are wealthy but frugal. For two people, they don’t want or need a big jet for a 45-minute flight,” he says.
The G600 results from members who travel mainly within the Continental U.S. but “want to go to Hawaii from Nashville once or year or fly privately to Europe for a vacation.”
Before the super mids entered the fleet, Nicholas Air built its jet card membership on its fleet of Phenom 100s, Citation CJ3s, and Phenom 300s, which work well on short to medium-length journeys.
In our latest subscriber survey, Nicholas Air continued to receive high marks, with 90.9% of its clients giving Excellent/Very Good ratings.
It also had one of the lowest attrition rates.
Correnti says the 13-seat Gulfstream has an attractive 90-minute daily minimum in anticipation of customers who need to make short hops around the holidays with multi-generational family groups.
At the same time, according to the OEM, the G600 can fly nonstop from Dallas to Tokyo, Rio, or Istanbul.
Correnti says having a large cabin jet will also help in pilot retention, giving an extra opportunity to upgrade internally.
The G600 program operates under the company’s newest program, the Steel Jet Card.
There is a $75,000 membership fee, one-way pricing at $18,900 per hour, plus a fuel surcharge if over specific index and FET as applicable. There are no repositioning charges.
Callout is 24 hours for Continental U.S. flights and 96 hours for other trips.
The new airplane is being marketed as a separate product, so members of its current jet cards must join the G600 program for access.
The name is a tribute to Correnti’s late father, known as the “man of steel,” for his innovations in the steel manufacturing industry.
“Our workforce and brand have strength. We are structured and have longevity in the industry. The word steel used throughout the company is more than just a word. It represents the American dream. The dream of opportunity, advancement, and creating something that will withstand the test of times,” Correnti says.
The founder adds that the club-like relationships between members are the foundation for Nicholas’s Lifestyle.
There is currently a 14,000-square home on 150 acres along the Blue Ribbon River near Missoula, Montana, and a three-bedroom residential condo on a private golf course in Mississippi.
Steel Jet Card members will get five free nights, while other jet card members will receive preferred rates.
There is a private island in the Bahamas under development, and the expectation is to add more properties.
However, there no plans exist to open it up beyond Nicholas Air jet card clients.
“Our members view the airplanes as their own. They aren’t putting their feet up on the table. These homes are furnished like our members’ homes,” Correnti says.
One thing that isn’t changing is the Nicholas Air approach.
“We won’t be making any big orders or airplanes,” Correnti says. There are also no plans for an IPO.
However, fleet expansion will continue with his typical one-by-one approach.
The company also continues selling older aircraft to maintain an average fleet of under five years.
Correnti says despite the overall market declining, Nicholas Air will post a slight increase in flight hours for 2023.
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