Citing record contract utilization by existing fractional owners, NetJets says flight demand is currently exceeding all other highs in their 57-year history. Simultaneously it has “exhausted the production capacity of some OEM partners.” As a result, it is temporarily pausing sales of new fractional shares, leases and jet cards on the light cabin Citation XLS and Phenom 300, which are the smallest planes in its fleet.
Adding Planes
NetJets owns and operates the largest private aircraft fleet in the world. In 2020, they added more than 30 new private jets to the existing 760+ aircraft. To handle the current flight demand they have pulled forward deliveries of new aircraft wherever possible, and paused aircraft disposals. Patrick Gallagher, President Sales, Marketing and Service at NetJets said "in addition to the 25 aircraft we have already taken delivery of in 2021, we will add 30 more to our fleet between now and the end of the year. A NetJets representative added, “we now look forward to growing our fleet faster than we ever have by investing approximately $2.5B in more than 100 new aircraft arriving by the end of 2022.”
NetJets also noted that when demand exceeds the number of aircraft in their fleet, they partner with their subsidiary Executive Jet Management (EJM) - and other operators that meet stringent criteria - to provide guaranteed access to a safe aircraft and expertly trained crew. Adding “at NetJets this is done only when absolutely necessary to supplement our vast fleet.”
Adding Staff
To meet continued demand, the company says it is “actively recruiting hundreds of highly skilled pilots and Flight Center staff to support our growing fleet.” Patrick Gallagher added "we have hired more than 100 pilots in recent weeks, with an aim to hire 200 more by the end of the year." He then continued "We have hired and are actively recruiting additional Owner Services Team members. In fact, a class of new hires just joined their colleagues in the Flight Center after eight intense weeks of proprietary training."
Light Jet Sales Paused
Flight requests have been reaching record levels across private aviation. NetJets says “our solution is to place all new requests for the Citation XLS and Phenom 300 on a waiting list,” for the US market.
Adding “the decision to temporarily pause light jet sales, in addition to recently raising card prices and eliminating Peak Period Day travel on card purchases, allows us to continue prioritizing what is most important - delivering the best possible experience to all Owners.”
Safety & Service First
NetJets has always emphasized its safety and service, and reiterates this in the current environment saying “light jet inventory constraints are such that additional sales before more aircraft are delivered would put our service at risk.” Then added “the company continues its unwavering focus on safety and service, above all else.”