As more people consider private jet travel to minimize their risk of exposure to the coronavirus, charter – which provides more than 65% of all managed private flight time – is increasingly attractive. FXAIR will provide premium charter on demand to those looking for a seamless entry into private jet travel.
“We pride ourselves on anticipating the needs of flyers and moving swiftly to present them with ideal options once they are ready to act,” said Kenn Ricci, Principal of Directional Aviation. “Increasingly, we are finding that individuals and businesses appreciate the on-demand charter model for the flexibility it affords them, but they desire access to a more consistent network of premium aircraft. With the addition of FXAIR to our family of flight providers and operators, we meet that need and can say that, no matter how people prefer to fly, we have a solution for them.”
Headquartered in New York City, FXAIR is led by aviation industry veteran Gregg Slow, who will serve as FXAIR President. He has held senior positions at other private jet travel firms including XOJET and NetJets. Most recently, he served as President of the Americas at PrivateFly, Directional’s international on-demand charter provider.
“Having spent my entire career in private jet travel, I believe FXAIR fills a genuine need in the market that is not currently being addressed by other providers,” said Slow. “As more businesses, individuals and families choose to fly privately, especially in today’s COVID-19 world, there is a new requirement for a refined and reliable charter experience that exceeds what often is available in the traditional charter market setting.”
Premium Aircraft and Ease of Use
FXAIR offers a unique blend of features that differentiates it from other charter providers. In addition to providing access to selectively procured premium aircraft beyond what may be available to other charter market participants, FXAIR is app-enabled, digitally-based and on-demand, all without any upfront financial commitment.
FXAIR will launch with a foundational collection of premium super mid cabin, large cabin and ultra-long range aircraft including the Bombardier Challenger 300 and the Global Express. These second generation Flexjet aircraft will only be available for premium charter through FXAIR. In addition, FXAIR will access a network of individually curated premium aircraft from some of the industry’s most respected and safe flight providers. All aircraft operators within the FXAIR network also will have to meet strict COVID-19 precautions to ensure passenger safety.
Companies under the Directional Aviation umbrella include: PrivateFly (global open market charter brokerage); FXAIR (premium charter on demand); Sentient Jet (jet card offerings at fixed, all-inclusive hourly rates); and Flexjet (fractional ownership within its fleet of Red Label aircraft).
“We hear that the rest of the charter industry is trying to ‘democratize’ private jets. We see it very differently. We see clients who appreciate the ‘private’ in ‘private aviation’ and aren’t willing to compromise on quality or safety. Once charter clients fly with FXAIR, they won’t want to go back – especially with the innovative enhancements we plan to implement in the future,” added Ricci.
