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Directional Aviation Realigns Flexjet, Flight Options

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BlueNose

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Directional Aviation Realigns Flexjet, Flight Options
AINalerts - October 16, 2014
by Chad Trautvetter


October 16, 2014, 3:30 PM

Directional Aviation Capital (DAC) is 'realigning' its two fractional aircraft providers - Flight Options and Flexjet - to eliminate confusion in the marketplace since acquiring Dallas-based Flexjet from Bombardier in December. "Frankly, we were even a little confused internally about how the two brands were differentiated," DAC principal Kenn Ricci told AIN.

Under the new alignment, Flexjet will focus on newer aircraft and those with the range to carry owners to any place on earth, while Flight Options will offer fractional shares in pre-owned jets, as well as remanufactured aircraft such as the 400XTi from DAC's Nextant Aerospace. "Thus, Flight Options will go back to its roots as the 'value fractional,'" Ricci said. "Flexjet owners tend to be more corporate and want to fly on younger aircraft. Flight Options customers have a more entrepreneurial spirit and tend to go for the best deal."

This means that the new Embraer Phenom 300s in the Flight Options fleet will soon be migrating to Flexjet, Ricci noted. And to meet the global mission, Flexjet recently added four young pre-owned Bombardier Globals to its fleet; longer term, this requirement will be fulfilled by the order for 50 Gulfstreams (22 firm, 28 options) it placed on Tuesday.
 
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If the phenom 300s are going to Flexjet, what's going to happen to the LR45s?
 
Or the Lear 75? Some definite questions about aircraft category overlap..

I would hope that salaries ultimately will be made the same across both companies by category like at Netjets (i.e., 400xT, Phenom and Lear 45/75 would pay the same in the light jet category while the eventual Lear 85 and older FLOPS Citation X would pay the same in the mid size category, etc.) - otherwise you would either see a mad scramble for one side vs another for better pay/equipment or extreme bitterness and animosity if one side does better than the other....

Then again I wouldn't be surprised to see some whipsaw action done by KR...
 
Or the Lear 75? Some definite questions about aircraft category overlap..

I would hope that salaries ultimately will be made the same across both companies by category like at Netjets (i.e., 400xT, Phenom and Lear 45/75 would pay the same in the light jet category while the eventual Lear 85 and older FLOPS Citation X would pay the same in the mid size category, etc.) - otherwise you would either see a mad scramble for one side vs another for better pay/equipment or extreme bitterness and animosity if one side does better than the other....

Then again I wouldn't be surprised to see some whipsaw action done by KR...

Something tells me the lears are going to migrate to Options as the P 300s come to Flex. Makes sense why incoming Options pilots are going to the Lear. I'm sure some will already have a Phenom type.

I wouldn't be surprised if we have no new bombardier products in 5 years. Welcome to the world of embrear. :(
 
Since the 75's will be new aircraft and classes on it are beginning, I would say that they are still scheduled to show up.
 
Remember the CL300 was, and still may become a FO product however flown by FJ pilots. At least that was the last plan. So the Phenom could very well be flown by FO pilots as a Flexjet product. At least I'm assuming the IBT contract allows for it. So nothing really changes in terms of ops.

The 75 isn't really a direct competitor to the P300 anyway. Diff cert, more perf, and of course more $. There was talk at some point about FJ's used Lears going to FO and becoming "value" products over there. Wasn't in the plan presented Wed but who knows.
 
Did any of you watch the company presentation KR gave? He laid out which plane types each brand was going to have (FLOPS, Flex, and Red label Flex). We didn't elaborate which pilot groups were going to flying which planes though. I'm not sure anybody in management knows that answer right now.
 
Flex isn't union, you can bet you are now seen as the saviors for the former NJI anti union Gulfstream lovers. My guess is Ricci's inbox is filled with resumes of those guys wanting to be the international training captains. We'll see soon if this prophesy comes to fruition.
 
Just saying...

Did any of you watch the company presentation KR gave? He laid out which plane types each brand was going to have (FLOPS, Flex, and Red label Flex). We didn't elaborate which pilot groups were going to flying which planes though. I'm not sure anybody in management knows that answer right now.

...We?
 

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