Aero occupies airspace somewhere between commercial and private flights. More specifically, it offers air travelers a hybrid of first -class flyers and aircraft chartes.
Ben Klein, Executive Director of Aero, told Flightglobal this month that Aero offers a private experience similar to a jet without requiring membership or fractional property. The idea is due to generalized frustration with commercial airlines and the strong demand for luxury trips.
“There is demand for a service between the traditional first class product and the pure letter,” says Klein. “Even if a first high quality class is flying, it still has the experience of the airport to deal with, which, depending on the duration of the flight, could be a significant part of the trip itself.”
Operation flights of smaller airports, Aero seeks to avoid employed terminals and full of people and long lines at security control points.
Aero’s “book by the seat” in which passengers reserve separately and fly in the same letter, resonates with relatively rich air travelers that are not satisfied with commercial flights, and are will Premium experience.
“Especially for flights that are at that optimal point between two and four hours, it is a really convincing proposal for many travelers,” says Klein.
Aeros Aero rates vary at approximately $ 800 to $ 1,000 per hour of flight time.
“It can be more than the first class, surely,” he admits. “But in maximum demand times, we are very competitive with first -class prices to markets like Aspen, which can become very high.”
Aero, based in Los Angeles, has taken a tactic similar to that of the “Hop-on Jet” of JSX by operating under the rules of part 135 of the FAA for charter carriers on request. These rules do not allow scheduled flights, except under an exemption for public letters, which can fly by airlines that use aircraft with 30 or less seats.
The growing popularity of public letters has attracted the criticisms of the main US airlines and pilot unions, which have denounced what they consider a “escape” through which the airlines of the letter can avoid the requirements of Safety and operational rules applied to scheduled passenger flights.
The Federal Aviation Administration Recently indicated intention of the operators subject to public flights to the same rules that must follow the main scheduled airlines.
It is not clear how the proposed rules change can affect Aero’s business model in the future. Klein says it is too early to comment on the subject.
For now, the implementation focuses on growth. Aero Flies programmed routes from Van Nuys de los Ángeles airport to Aspen, Colorado, Sun Valley, Idaho and Cabo San Lucas in Mexico.
“We fly to the main leisure destinations and we have many owners of the second house that are frequent guests that come and go among those destinations,” says Klein.
Since its launch in 2021, the company has also served the main cultural events such as the Stagecoach Festival and the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, as well as the Super Bowl last year in Las Vegas.
The ERJ-135s of Aero, designed for configurations of 37 passengers, have been modified to seat 16.
“That gives everyone a first -class seat with a lot of legs for the legs and 150 degrees of Reline,” says Klein. “It is a type of premium business jet seat arrangement.”
ERJ-135 are suitable for mission due to their durability, reliability and relatively reasonable acquisition cost, he says. Designed for regional commercial operations, the plane is also equipped with a considerable load hold that can accommodate up to 70 bags.
“We never have a problem with people who bring everything they want to bring, whether golf clubs or skis or multiple bags,” he says
Aero has four ERJ-135 and an Embraer Legacy 600, a derivative of business aircraft of the ERJ family. Klein mentions the possibility of growing the fleet and finally add airplanes with “longer legs.”
“In the short term, we intend to launch one or two new routes in 2024 and we hope to add a couple of planes too,” he says.
These new routes will probably be implemented as part of associations with hotels, resorts and developers of destination communities. “More in the medium term, we will find a new base to operate and take Aero to another region of the country,” says Klein.
As the start -up expands, it will strive to provide passengers with an experience “as good as the final destination of their trip,” he says. “We want to make the flight part of your trip as memorable as where it will stay.”
