By Graham Warwick in Washington DC
Air-taxi operator DayJet has begun hiring pilots and ground staff after announcing the first locations for its per-seat on-demand charter service using Eclipse 500 very light jets. So-called DayPorts are to be operational at five small and medium-sized Florida cities when service begins in November.
DayPorts will be established at Boca Raton and Lakeland, where no scheduled airline service exists today, and at Gainesville, Pensacola and Tallahassee, where only limited airline service is available. DayJet plans to begin service between DayPorts with 10 Eclipses, plus two spares, operating from 07:00-23:00 daily, Monday to Friday.
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| DayJet is now hiring staff and canvassing for customers as it gears up for November launch |
Two of the locations will be DayBases, where employees will live and aircraft will be maintained. One is Gainesville, where Eclipse is establishing its first company-owned service centre, to be operational early next year. The other has yet to be identified. Aircraft will return to the DayBases once during the day to change crew shifts and again at the end of the day for overnight maintenance. DayJet has selected engineering and maintenance software developed by Trax and widely used by airlines.
In the announced markets, in addition to hiring, DayJet has begun canvassing for initial customers, who will be qualified as “network members” paying $250 a year and agreeing to fly four times a year, paying as they fly. “We will only accept a certain number of members so we can assure the reliability and availability of service,” the company says. Wider availability, or “open enrolment”, is planned for early next year.
DayJet has selected fixed-based operators to host the DayPorts at Gainesville Regional, Lakeland Linder Regional and Pensacola Regional airports and is in final negotiations with FBOs at Boca Raton and Tallahassee, the Florida capital. DayJet will be based close to Boca Raton, and has announced plans with the state government to establish a training centre in Tallahassee for on-demand VLJ service providers.
Source: Flight International
