We’re Ready To Fly When You Are | JetAssure

Business aircraft are productivity tools.

They’re ready and waiting to transport busy people wherever they need to go, whenever they need to travel. There is a host of benefits that accompany flying private, including the fact that travel time is productive time.

A 2017 report authored by NEXA Advisors on behalf of the Canadian Business Aviation Association (CBAA) and the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) found that “top line” revenue growth for business aviation users on the TSX 60 list of companies outperformed non-users by over 43 per cent from 2012 to 2016.

Since that report was released, the world has endured a global pandemic that decimated commercial aviation. Recovery has been slow, and flight cancellations seem to be the norm these days. It’s no wonder companies have come to depend on their business aircraft even more.

But what if that aircraft isn’t available? Perhaps it’s in the hangar for scheduled maintenance, or maybe a crew member is sick and cannot fly. Or, maybe the CEO needs to fly in one direction, while other executives need to go the opposite way.

No matter the reason, there will be occasions when an aircraft that is wholly owned by a company or an individual will not be available.

For those times, AirSprint’s JetAssure supplemental lift program is the reliable, turn-key, cost-certain alternative.

Read on to learn more about the program and how JetAssure keeps you in the air.

We’re ready to fly when you are.

According to the CBAA, there are about 1,900 business aircraft operating in Canada.

Every one of them must undergo planned and unplanned maintenance. Plus, every one of them is flown by human pilots who may become ill, pursue another job, or take a vacation. Add to that picture a market where pilots, aircraft maintenance personnel, and parts are hard to find – meaning it can take longer to hire a replacement crew or complete a scheduled inspection – and you get the picture.

Your corporate or personal aircraft will almost certainly be unavailable from time to time.

So, how do you meet your business or personal travel demands when this happens?

The answer is supplemental lift.

Think of supplemental lift as your no-fail backup plan – a plan that has an impeccably maintained jet flown by a professional crew ready and waiting for you, whenever you call.

AirSprint is the Canadian pioneer in Fractional Jet Ownership. Since 2000, the company has helped busy executives, successful entrepreneurs and high net worth individuals get where they want to go, when they want to be there – quickly, safely, and on time. When you travel with AirSprint, there are no details to worry about. Simply tell your Personal Flight Concierge who is travelling, where you want to go, and when you want to fly, and they’ll take care of the rest!

AirSprint created the JetAssure supplemental lift program to address the needs of whole aircraft owners and corporate flight departments who need to know that even if their aircraft is grounded, they are not.

“We’ve looked at supplemental lift for a number of years because we saw a gap in the Canadian marketplace,” said Scott Wenz, VP Sales & Marketing at AirSprint. “One aircraft manufacturer estimated that 22 per cent of their customers owned multiple aircraft to meet their travel needs. This significant investment could be solved by owning a fractional share.”

Keep reading to find out why JetAssure is the travel solution you need.

“The biggest sales point to a CFO is the predictability of the pricing and the short-term nature of the lease,” continued Wenz. “That’s one of the challenges of owning a whole aircraft. With JetAssure, your rates and pricing are locked in for the two-year period.”

Plus, AirSprint is purposely structured to be nimble and responsive to flight requests.

“We are the largest Fractional Ownership provider in Canada, with 31 aircraft (as of April 2023),” explained Wenz. “So, you have guaranteed access 365 days per year, because of the scale of our business. We own about 20 per cent of our fleet and we reserve it for backup capacity.”

JetAssure customers will fly on the youngest fractional aircraft fleet in North America and can book their category of aircraft via phone, email or through the AirSprint app.

“There is an incomparable service level,” Wenz continued. “From our Personal Flight Concierges, who take care of all the details, to our pilots who continue with your on-board service, our team is second to none.”

AirSprint’s nerve centre is undoubtedly its Integrated Operations Control Centre (IOCC). Behind the scenes, the department’s two distinct teams work together to ensure a seamless customer service experience.

Here’s a look at the comprehensive network that supports JetAssure clients.
As the first point of contact for all AirSprint customers, this round-the-clock, 30-member team is responsible for ensuring a smooth travel experience from start to finish. JetAssure customers will be introduced to their own Personal Flight Concierge (PFC), a point of contact who will be completely versed in their contract, special requirements and account details.

Kimberley Atkinson is the Director, Owner Experience at AirSprint. She oversees the team of Personal Flight Concierges as well as Owner Experience Coordinators in Calgary and Toronto. In fact, she is responsible for every Owner touchpoint, from communications to in-flight commissary and entertainment, to third-party vendors.

“When our Owner Services team receives a call for a flight, their first step is to input all the details into our flight booking system,” explained Atkinson. “We then work hand-in-hand with our Operations Control team, which reviews each flight for feasibility before we provide a preliminary itinerary to our Owners. We have a 15-minute response time for all inquiries and are committed to having itineraries out within 12 hours. Our team takes care of the flight booking and coordinates all Owner logistics, such as ground transportation, catering, hotels, you name it.” 

She said the primary mission of the Owner Services team is to “ensure a seamless flight experience every time and to make it feel very personalized.”

During Covid, for example, PFCs were often contacted with questions about the ever-changing travel regulations.

“What sets AirSprint apart is that we do have an Owner Services team,” said Atkinson. “Our whole purpose is to be the champion for our Owners… we seek out opportunities to personalize each flight and create ‘wow’ moments. Our Personal Flight Concierges get to know the Owner’s executive assistant, family members, and personal milestones. Understanding their purpose of travel and unique preferences allows us to deliver a very tailored service.”

The Owner Services team loves nothing more than celebrating a big occasion. Recently, an Owner took their daughter to Disney World for her 16^th birthday.

“We decked out the whole plane,” recalled Atkinson. “We even had a Disney cake and Mickey Mouse ears ready for her. This job can be busy, but when we get to celebrate with our Owners, it’s really fun!”

She said JetAssure clients will enjoy the same smooth, worry-free experience as traditional Fractional Owners.

“Those with a corporate aircraft are accustomed to having their aircraft readily accessible and customized according to their needs. JetAssure won’t be any different for them. We tailor the aircraft to the client’s individual preferences, right down to the magazines on board. We will do everything possible to create an experience just for you.”

As the second half of the IOCC, the 28-member Operations Control team works 24/7 to ensure Owner travel runs smoothly.

As the second half of the IOCC, the 28-member Operations Control team works 24/7 to ensure Owner travel runs smoothly.

“There are so many catchpoints and moving pieces to each trip, from strategic scheduling to tactical planning and active monitoring,” said Matt Lomas, Director, Operations Control.

His team begins actively planning flights within Canada and the continental U.S. about three days before departure, while trips to Mexico or the Caribbean are rolling about a week ahead of time. They’re checking things like developing weather patterns, temporary flight restrictions for the route, service reductions at airports, or any other factors that may influence the trip.

Operations Control is also in charge of crew scheduling, maintaining direct contact with the company’s roster of pilots and communicating all trip details to them.

“We cover all the logistics for them,” said Lomas. “As the company grows, we will continue to add more support and services for our pilots.”

So, what sets the Operations Control team apart from any other aircraft charter company? Its ability to react and adapt to a very dynamic schedule, with JetAssure customers guaranteed access to their aircraft within 24 hours.

“We have a best-in-class team,” noted Lomas. “We recently added an algorithmic scheduling optimizer, for example. Our existing systems, processes, tools and people are industry-leading.”

That successful formula and expertise now extends to JetAssure supplemental lift customers, he added.

Chris Foley is Director of Maintenance at AirSprint. He oversees every mechanical need for the company’s extensive fleet of Embraer Praetor/Legacy and Cessna Citation jets.

Here, he describes why a customer’s wholly-owned aircraft may be delayed in maintenance, outside factors that influence repairs, and how the JetAssure program can fill the gaps.

“Every aircraft follows the same principle of hourly maintenance checks and calendar maintenance inspections,” said Foley. “Also, there are inspections based on flight cycles. Each aircraft manufacturer works with the applicable regulatory authorities to determine the maintenance program that will keep an aircraft airworthy. Some have intervals as low as 100 hours, while Embraer’s scheduled inspection program works on intervals of 750 hours. Then, you have other scheduled inspections that stack on top of those repetitive checks, along with component, special interval and regulatory requirements.”

Most aircraft have an annual check every 12 months. For relatively new aircraft, inspections might last two to three consecutive days. But, as aircraft age, times drag out as multiple staged inspections pile on.

Foley explained that outside of these scheduled events, aircraft come into maintenance several times a month for smaller inspections, such as servicing inspections, condition inspections, database updates and other routine maintenance.

Then, there are the unexpected AOG events. While each event is different, there’s no way to plan for how much shop time will be needed to address them.

“If you need to change an engine expectedly, you’re likely down for five to seven days – not including how long it takes to find a suitable rental engine,” said Foley. “AirSprint has the ability to work through challenging situations like this, but some smaller owners and operators are getting stuck waiting 30, 60 or 90 days for a rental engine.”

Furthermore, most repair facilities are saturated with the post-pandemic explosion in business aviation. It could take five to six days for them even to begin work on the cause of any AOG event. The entire supply chain has been affected.

“There are many variables,” noted Foley. “If it’s not a complex AOG and you need parts, then it will probably be 48 to 72 hours until you get it back online. It really depends on the situation. If you don’t need parts, a simple issue is likely closer to 24 hours. Complex avionics or wiring issues could take one or two weeks to sort out.”

Thanks to the size of AirSprint’s fleet and the fact that about 20 per cent of the aircraft are company-owned, the organization operates at the highest service level – even when an unplanned AOG event occurs.

Foley said he’s been contacted by whole aircraft owners before who are inquiring about backup travel solutions.

"I've dealt with single aircraft operators over the years. They often fly a lot, and it's troublesome for them when that aircraft is down. As whole aircraft owners, they will be subjected to multiple events per year due to scheduled or unscheduled maintenance. JetAssure allows them to secure an aircraft and fly during that downtime."

Your personal aircraft is your first choice for travel – but there will be times when it’s not available, for one reason or another.

For those times, aircraft owners and corporate flight departments can rely on the JetAssure supplemental lift solution.

Conceived and powered by AirSprint, the Canadian pioneer in Fractional Jet Ownership, JetAssure membership assures you of these key benefits:

• Consistent, locked-in pricing over a short two-year term
• Guaranteed access with just 24 hours’ notice
• Fly within Canada and the U.S., but pay in Canadian dollars
• Eliminate aircraft positioning hassles
• Use your hours when you need them, without restriction
• Enjoy greener flight with AirSprint’s Carbon Offsetting Program

Additionally, when compared to ad hoc charter providers, AirSprint’s Fractional Ownership model offers key benefits: consistently high standards, personalized service from booking to touchdown, and an incomparable level of safety – thanks to a dedicated maintenance team, full-time professional pilots, and the youngest fractional fleet in North America.

Plus, there’s the flexibility that only AirSprint can offer.

“We can look after all of your travel within North America, as well as to and from Hawaii, Western Europe and Central and South America,” concluded Scott Wenz. “JetAssure is a big opportunity for whole aircraft owners and corporate flight departments, especially now as business begins travelling more.”