Wheels Up and Jet Aviation Flight Services Showcase U.S. Partnership at EBACE
NEW YORK, NY (May 20, 2014) – Kenny Dichter, Founder and CEO of Wheels Up, along with Don Haloburdo, Vice President and General Manager of Jet Aviation Flight Services, celebrated their partnership at the opening of the European Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva.
Wheels Up, a membership-based private aviation company that greatly reduces the upfront investment needed to fly privately, now includes access to the safety, comfort and flexibility available in the broad choices of Jet Aviation Flight Services aircraft. Wheels Up members pay only for occupied hours at a predetermined hourly rate on Jet Aviation’s fleet, and can book flights 24-hours in advance with guaranteed availability 365 days per year. Wheels Up offers a 25-hour “Powered by Jet Aviation” pre-purchase program that allows for guaranteed availability and a 10-hour advance call out period. Members’ benefits include guaranteed availability, guaranteed pricing per occupied hour, and available 25% roundtrip bonus price reduction.
In the partnership, Jet Aviation provides Wheels Up members access to an open fleet of Midsize (Cessna Citation Excel, Hawker 800XP, or similar), Super Midsize (Citation X, Gulfstream G200, or similar), and Large (Challenger 605, Gulfstream G450, or similar) aircraft. The additional aircraft from Jet Aviation expands Wheels Up’s access to mid to large jet service as the company continues to build a complete aviation solution for its members.
"We are excited to formally introduce our U.S. partnership with Jet Aviation at EBACE,” said Mr. Dichter. “It’s wonderful to show everyone here the new Wheels Up model which takes the asset risk out of private aviation and provides an 'asset-appropriate' flight solution with a lower entry point and guaranteed pricing. We’re excited to highlight the programs and offerings we have created with Jet Aviation, an ideal partner for us, as we share the same vision to provide the highest safety standards and world-class customer service.”
Wheels Up and Jet Aviation have established the highest standards of safety. Jet Aviation Flight Services’ primary focus is safety, security, and service which is reflected in its decision to participate in a number of world-recognized safety certifications. Jet Aviation Flight Services has established a comprehensive Safety Management System (SMS); has been audited and earned stage 3 registry by the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO); has been awarded Platinum certification by ARG/US; and holds the safety designation “Wyvern Wingman.”
"We are delighted to be exhibiting with Wheels Up here at EBACE, as we find the membership model that Kenny and his team have introduced to be revolutionary for the industry,” said Mr. Haloburdo, Vice President and General Manager of Jet Aviation Flight Services. “We have seen an immediate response to Wheels Up members flying with Jet Aviation to experience the variety of aircraft options and highest level of service that members are accustomed to within the program.”
About Wheels Up
Wheels Up is a revolutionary membership-based private aviation company that greatly reduces the upfront investment needed to fly privately. Created and led by Kenny Dichter, the Founder of Marquis Jet and original innovator of the 25-hour fractional jet card, Wheels Up has identified a need for one company to offer a total private aviation solution. With a modest initiation fee and reasonable annual dues, Wheels Up offers members “mission-appropriate” aircraft, ranging from the King Air 350i to the Global 6000, through partnerships with industry leaders such as Beechcraft, Cessna, Jet Aviation, JetSuite, Heliflite and VistaJet. Wheels Up is developing proprietary cutting-edge booking and rideshare applications, and provides members with unmatched accessibility, flexibility, and the finest personalized service. With an 8,760-hour (referencing the number of hours in a year) culture, Wheels Up membership includes Wheels Down, the ultimate in client entertaining engaging members through exclusive events and opportunities to meet luminaries from the worlds of entertainment, sports, politics and business.
Wheels Up will act as agent for the Wheels Up members, and is not the operator of the program aircraft; FAA licensed and DOT registered air carriers participating in the program will exercise full operational control of the program aircraft. Any aircraft owned by Wheels Up will be dry leased to the operating air carrier to facilitate operations by that carrier. For additional information, please visit www.WheelsUp.com.
About Jet Aviation Flight Services
Jet Aviation Flight Services is responsible for delivering Jet Aviation’s aircraft management and charter services in the Americas. With U.S.-based offices in Teterboro, N.J., Van Nuys, Calif., and Chicago, the company provides services for a fleet of high-quality managed aircraft and was named in Robb Report’s “Best of the Best” for charter services for three consecutive years. Jet Aviation currently manages more than 100 aircraft in the Americas.
About Jet Aviation
Jet Aviation, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), was founded in Switzerland in 1967 and is one of the leading business aviation services companies in the world. Close to 4,500 employees cater to client needs from more than 20 facilities throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North and South America. The company provides maintenance, completions and refurbishment, engineering, FBO and fuel services, along with aircraft management, charter services, aircraft sales and personnel services. Jet Aviation's European and U.S. aircraft management and charter divisions jointly operate a fleet of more than 250 aircraft. Please visit www.jetaviation.com and follow us on twitter: http://twitter.com/jetaviation.
More information about General Dynamics is available online at www.generaldynamics.com.
