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Thursday, Mar 28, 2024
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JetSuite Doubles Fleet; Eyes East Coast Route

Wilcox: plans New York-to-Florida service

John Wayne Airport-based charter airline JetSuite Air has doubled its fleet with the purchase of 15 aircraft that will be used for new service on the East Coast.

“These are 15 refurbished jets from Cessna,” said JetSuite Chief Executive Alex Wilcox, who founded the company in 2006 and also was a founding executive of New York-based JetBlue Airways Corp.

The aircraft cost about $8 million apiece, Wilcox said.

The private carrier targets high-end corporate customers and individuals.

It began flights in 2009, and expects revenue of $25 million this year, Wilcox said.

The company moved its headquarters to JWA from Long Beach in 2011, and has been boosting its work force since then, with about 30 new hires here for a total of about 100.

The new line of jets, called JetSuite Edition Citation CJ3, can cover 2,000 miles and seat up to seven passengers. JetSuite’s other model, known as Embraer Phenom 100, can travel up to 1,200 miles and seat four people.

“The CJs will serve mostly from New York to Florida, which the Phenom can’t do nonstop,” Wilcox said. “The Phenom jets fly mostly in the West Coast.”

JetSuite plans additional hires for its East Coast operations, which are expected to begin next month, Wilcox said.

— Jane Yu

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