El Paso airport closure not impacting Jetvia; Las Cruces alternative

The Federal Aviation Administration’s 10-day closure of El Paso International Airport is not affecting operations for Jetvia, which is based there.

(Updated at 9:21 AM EST. After issuing the closure notice early this morning at just after 9 AM EST, the FAA rescinded the order.)

Jetvia is one of the 20 largest U.S. private jet operators based on charter and fractional flight hours.

It is headquartered at the El Paso airport.

Jetvia offers guaranteed availability fractional and jet card programs.

Executive Vice President Nick Tyson tells Private Jet Card Comparisons it has already recovered all but two of the flights scheduled for today.

He said that, at the time the NOTAM closed the airport for 10 days, only two of its active aircraft were at the airport.

Since Jetvia operates a floating fleet, he said the remainder of its Lear 60 fleet was away from base.

Two Lear 60s in El Paso awaiting conformance are also affected.

Tyson said the company only does light maintenance at ELP.

He said virtually all of its maintenance is done via third-party MROs.

None are located in ELP so that the closure won’t impact operations.

For flyers headed to or from El Paso, Jetvia has already been scheduling flights to Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Las Cruces is 60 miles from El Paso.

The only inconvenience, according to Tyson, is that Las Cruces does not offer customs services.

Flights arriving from Mexico, he said, will now need to make a customs stop, likely in Tucson, Arizona.

The closest airports to ELP with scheduled service are around four hours away.

Tyson says he expects a surge in demand for private aviation, with flyers using Las Cruces.