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Dear Aeros: 

Full Circle
In the January, 2024 Newsletter I discussed how once upon a time airline travel was a joy and privilege, until the jumbo jet era. The world's first jumbo, the 747, was inspired by Pan Am and built by Boeing with a stated purpose of bringing cheap air travel to the tourist masses. What followed was a race to the bottom. The business traveller became a mere afterthought.

Fast forward to today. I don't know about you, but I can feel my blood pressure rising as I pull up to the airport terminal curb a mandatory 60 to 120 minutes before scheduled departure time. Corralled into long lines, forced to semi-strip in front of surly TSA agents, losing all pride in the privacy-invasive body scanners, all the while praying that scanned belongings make it to the other side has become the new normal. That's step one. For international flights add on step two, a custom's agent interrogation. Then, as you wait, wait, and wait some more in anticipation of the boarding call, your mind inevitably ponders whether, indeed, you are the common criminal you have been led to believe you are over the past hour. And if you are one of the lucky ones to get an invitation to that "exclusive" loyalty departure lounge, as you arrive in anticipation of that rare oasis of tranquility you wonder how did the entire airport get the same invitation?! Now onto step three, getting herded like cattle into a germ-infested tin can otherwise known as an airplane complete with the mandatory stale air, bad food and even worse service. And with all the viruses circulating inside, as you take your seat it suddenly dawns upon you that you will likely end up sick in bed within a couple days. Better get out that oil of oregano. Oh wait, no liquids allowed in carry-ons. 

Dr. Clotaire Rapaille, the famous psychologist and marketing guru hired by Boeing to fix things, aptly described modern commercial aviation as "Sado-masochism". Dr. Rapaille's task was to reimagine airline travel. Following extensive analysis he recommended to Boeing that the hub-and-spoke system be scrapped in favor of point to point non-stop journeys in lower capacity aircraft. He also recommended re-embracing the long-neglected business traveler on longer-haul routes. After all, those passengers need to be rested and ready to perform at their destination. 

Boeing listened. They promptly killed the 747 "Queen of the Skies" program after 40 years. Boeing's decision was prescient given Airbus' recent abandonment of the ultra high-capacity A380, an unmitigated money-losing disaster. Boeing's solution is the 787 Dreamliner, created from a fresh slate design. What a homerun. As of January 2025, Boeing has built 1,170 of these aircraft with an additional 1,957 on back order. Air France, Lufthansa, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines and others are scrambling  to refit their cabins to cater to the premium passenger. It's starting to feel like things are coming FULL CIRCLE.

PLUS
Research shows that light and midsized jets make up 57 percent of the US private jet fleet. On the assumption that (a) the vast majority of those jet owners/passengers travel at least twice a year internationally and (b) would prefer not to swim beyond the midway point, they must either charter or use the airlines. With one-way transatlantic charter flights costing around $150,000.00, my guess is most choose an airline ticket.

So here is the conundrum. Whereas airlines are once again focused on the onboard experience, they have a long way to go in filling the gap with private when it comes to overall experience. Arguably, the other things are not even within their control. In terms of potential demand, there are approximately 15,000 private jets in the US. 57 percent is 8,550. Let's say 4 people per and 2 international round trips a year each. That's a conservative estimate. That means a demand for 136,800 airline seats overall annually. That's a lot of bums in seats!

We at AeroOne have set out to tackle this problem not only for our clients but for others in the private sphere that make up this market. We have assembled an advisory team. Still in early stages, we are in initial discussions with potential strategic partners to develop a seamless bridge between domestic private aviation and one or more exclusive airlines that will extend the attributes of the "private experience" to far-off international destinations via well-conceived commercial scheduled service accessible through private hubs across the US. Privatemeets PLUS. Goals include:

• Private launch pads initially at hubs such as TEB, HPN, PWK, YNY, FTW etc. 

• Seamless passenger transfer from private to commercial (pull your jet up to the airliner and hop onboard). 

• Single cabin airliners configured in all business or first class, Low density (40 to 50 seats max).

• Part 121 (scheduled airline) non-stop service to popular destinations like LHR, CDG, FRA, HKG, NRT, SIA etc. 

• No security, no customs, seamless luggage handling. Everyone pre-cleared (Just like private).

• Exclusivity, servicing only the US and overseas private markets.

• Package deals organized by AeroOne and offered to Netjets, Bizjets, Jetcards and select charter companies.

• Seats priced similarly to other full-fare business/first class airline offerings but with way better onboard service. 

In short, buy a light or medium sized aircraft to fly domestically and, included in the package, extend your range to popular destinations around the world for 1/12th the cost of international charter. Welcome to "Private PLUS", our initial working name for this exploratory adventure.

We would love to hear your thoughts on this concept as your input is important as we continue to develop the details. Email us at info@AeroOne.org or call me on my direct landline at 302-356-1522.

Happy Flying, 
Roger Proctor, CEO

PS: Last Wednesday I took Air Canada to Toronto for a two-day turn. My aircraft was out of service to undergo the March 7 Bombardier landing gear Service Bulletin inspection (See below). I paid $4,882.00 for an open J class return ticket. The Air Canada lounge was full on outbound with a 15 minute line-up (I declined), no movie headsets onboard flight (they forgot to provision) and the food was borderline inedible both ways. Total trip time curb to curb was 7.1 hours outbound and 8.3 hours return. With my jet it's 3.4 hours there and 4.2 hours back. No airport. That's the freedom we offer.