LOS ANGELES, May 28, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Private jet broker and management company JetSuite welcomed its first customer this week when award-winning aircraft designer Burt Rutan boarded the first commercial Phenom 100 flight in California, one of the first commercial operations in the world for the brand-new aircraft type.
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JetSuite is the exclusive broker for this Phenom 100 and booked the flight on behalf of Air by Jet, based in Solana Beach, CA. Air by Jet is the first Part 135 Air Carrier in California to operate a Phenom, which is widely considered to be the 'next generation' regional business jet.
The National Aviation Hall of Fame winner (1995) and renowned aircraft and spaceship designer Rutan chartered the aircraft to his home in the Mojave Desert, and remarked: "That was a fun and comfortable ride and I am delighted to have been JetSuite's first customer."
JetSuite, one of Embraer's largest Phenom fleet customers, will take delivery of 7 more Phenom 100s this year.
"We have the first Phenom for charter in California, and people are clamoring to fly on it," said Alex Wilcox, JetSuite's CEO. "The plane is so spacious and the costs so low that the plane is almost fully booked for June."
"We are proud to be the first to operate this jet in commercial service in California," said Air by Jet President Pat Cutbirth. "This low-cost, efficient and highly reliable airplane is a dream come true for a cost- and quality-focused operator like us."
Charter pricing for the Phenom 100 runs at about half of that for comparable jets with, for example, Los Angeles to Las Vegas starting around $1,900 one way, all in, and Los Angeles to San Francisco starting around $2,900 one way, all in. As the aircraft seats up to four passengers, these prices make private jet travel as affordable as $475 or $750 each, respectively.
"Don't be fooled by other prices in the market," said Mr. Wilcox. "We quote all charges upfront and guarantee quoted prices for the time of the flight. Others have minimum time charges, fuel surcharges, catering surcharges, and landing surcharges. Customers need to make sure they are getting a guaranteed all-in price when they compare."
The Phenom 100 offers extraordinary value in cabin class private aviation. The ultra-modern, ultra-efficient aircraft seats four passengers, flies more than 1,000 miles and requires less than a quarter of the fuel used by many of the jets currently in operation. It offers spacious comfort, superb performance and the latest technology.
The jet's interior, designed jointly by BMW Group DesignWorksUSA and Embraer, boasts the largest cabin, windows and baggage compartment in its class. Powered by the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW617F, with a range of up to 1,160 nm, short runway capabilities, speeds up to 390 knots and a cruising altitude of 41,000 ft., the Phenom 100's performance is best-in-class.
JetSuite has created a waiting list at their website (www.jetsuite.com) for Phenom bookings. JetSuite and Air by Jet will be marketing only eight Phenoms in California this year. All JetSuite booked flights are operated by Air by Jet, a Part 135 charter operator, certificate number J2IA4971.
For more information on JetSuite, please visit www.jetsuite.com, or call (866) 779-7770.
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