Of the 2,300 charter management companies in the U.S., Jet Linx manages the third largest Part 135 fleet – quickly becoming one of the most diverse in the nation. When a Jet Card client requests a plane, our Fleet Optimization experts can offer various makes and models from efficient Light Jets to more stately Heavy Jets. To offer such a broad range of aircraft is a rarity in terms of operational capacity and in the luxury to pick and choose from a collection of the finest machines ever built.

Up until 2014, Jet Linx managed mainly Light Jets and Midsize Jets. As of mid-2019, the number of Heavy Jets in the fleet currently sits at 18. Heavy Jets provide the intercontinental capabilities to reach Asia, Europe, and South America.

Erin Donnelly, Vice President of Revenue Management, is excited by the prospect of having a diverse fleet that now includes a range of Heavy Jets. “Having Heavy Jets in the fleet opens up our operational capability to service more international locations. We fly to the Caribbean, Canada, and Mexico on a regular basis right now, but the fleet of Heavies will open up flights to Europe, Central America, Asia, and beyond,” she commented. “The additions of these jets has opened up the opportunity to form a specialized team in the Flight Coordination department that will be specifically focusing on international missions.”

Donnelly noted that Jet Linx still operates a majority of trips in Light and Midsize Jets, but the addition of Heavy Jets leads customers to think twice. “It turns us into more of a full-service operation where our clients now have a choice of what they’d like to fly. If they want to take eight to twelve people to Europe on our jets, they now have that option,” she stated. “We’ve been able to offer that through our off-fleet partners, but we can now service those demands with Jet Linx aircraft, and that excites us.”

To effectively manage such a range of aircraft at such a high level speaks volumes about the knowledge and commitment of the Jet Linx team. “We really had to earn the Heavy Jets by showing people we were capable of managing Light and Midsize Jets at a high level. People generally do not just hand over their Heavy Jets. They are precious assets in this industry,” revealed Ben Kroese, Jet Linx Charter Sales Manager. “However, once you earn them and show people that you can manage them well and keep them profitable, they come your way more regularly. People will hear that you have them, and they’ll start requesting them.”

One of the reasons that Heavy Jet owners are warming up to Jet Linx is the robust management program. “We are a great solution for Heavy Jet owners due to our ability to manage their asset with a true turnkey management program,” explained Scott Wilbanks, Jet Linx Atlanta Vice President of Sales. “From safety, personnel management, FAA compliance, pilot training, maintenance, client services, accounting and revenue hours, we have a dedicated, professional team working every day to bring an unparalleled level of service and value to our owners.”

Donnelly echoed Wilbanks in affirming the Jet Linx model is the number one factor in attracting Heavy Jets to the fleet. “What attracts aircraft owners of all sizes, but specifically Heavy Jets, is our model and our structure. If you’re an aircraft owner looking to put your plane on a 135 certificate, there is no one out there that offers similar services. With our national scale and reach we’re able to get more volume on the plane than anyone else,” she noted. Larger jets require more sophisticated maintenance, more rigorous inspections, and are subject to more rules and regulations. “As a national operator, we have the capacity and the systems to be consistent with the crewing and maintenance of the aircraft. Smaller operators have the nice, personal service that everyone loves, but we also have that at Jet Linx. We’re the best of both worlds for aircraft management. As far as revenue hours, maintenance, and crewing, we offer everything. Systems and infrastructure, it’s all there.”

Through expansion into New York and Boston, Jet Linx is now in contact with more Heavy Jet owners and Jet Card clients that are accustomed to flying missions in larger planes with long-range capabilities. “From a purely geographic standpoint, these locales need Heavy Jets to get to Los Angeles or Seattle without a fuel stop. Smaller aircraft couldn’t handle that range. Jet Linx has proven capable of managing these assets, and managing them very efficiently,” Donnelly concluded. “We expect this fleet offering to continue to grow.”