The email's subject line caught my attention: “Considering Selling the Plane—What’s Next?” It came from an aviation department managing a company-owned jet. The company’s needs had shifted, and after a decade of ownership, they were weighing their options.

When we met in person, the Director of Aviation laid out the challenge:
“Our fleet has served us well, but with fewer executives flying regularly and increased international travel demands, ownership of our oldest bird doesn’t feel as efficient anymore. What should we be doing instead?”

Breaking Down the Challenge

Aircraft ownership offers unparalleled convenience and control, but it also comes with costs—crew salaries, maintenance, hangar fees, and depreciation. When these costs outweigh the usage, it can be time to rethink the strategy.
This company faced three specific challenges:

1. Underutilization: Their executives' reduced travel frequency meant the plane often sat idle.
2. International Needs: The existing aircraft didn’t have the range for their growing international itineraries.
3. Transition Planning: They wanted to ensure continuity for trips already planned while marketing/selling their jet.

The Solution

To craft a solution, I started by evaluating their current usage and future travel needs. It quickly became clear that a blended strategy would deliver the flexibility they needed.

• Short-Term Plan: While preparing the aircraft for sale, we ensured continuity by arranging charters for upcoming trips. With direct market pricing, the company saw immediate savings compared to traditional broker fees.
• Long-Term Plan: We explored two primary options: fractional ownership with a company like Net Jets or FlexJet for predictable travel and the Signature Flight Fund (SFF) for everything else. The SFF allowed them to maintain aircraft flexibility for larger or more specialized aircraft when needed, Smart Flight Optimization compared their fractional rate to charter to optimize use,and ensure full visibility into pricing and operations.
• Contingency Planning: We addressed their concern about maintenance schedules or AOG events on a reduced fleet by establishing backup charter solutions. This provided peace of mind that their executives would make it to their meetings.

The Outcome

By transitioning to a more dynamic aviation portfolio, the company reduced their annual aviation budget by 12% while expanding their fleet options. They now charter ultra-long-range jets for international trips and use midsize or light jets for short hops domestic and abroad. With Smart Flight Optimization as part of the SFF, they also receive alerts when a charter is more cost-effective than fractional options.

What truly stood out to the Director of Aviation was how the SFF provided oversight:
“Selling the plane felt like losing control, but now, with your program, I feel like we’ve gained much more flexibility and are able to support more staff. It’s like we have the perfect solution for every trip, no matter the destination or size of the group.”

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