Fractional operator Jet-Share Canada has added a third Cessna Citation to its fleet, bringing the total number of managed aircraft for the Toronto-based company to four. Along with the newly acquired Citation 560, Jet-Share also operates a Citation Bravo, a Citation VII and a King Air C90B with Black Hawk engine conversions.
Jet-Share president and pilot Michael Bannock said he has been seeing "more interest in airplanes again" recently, a pleasant change from the "flat" activity in the company in the past two to three years. "We're getting calls now, and I'm encouraged by that," he said.
Plans several years ago to double the size of the fleet have fizzled out because of the economy and Canadian customers wanting primarily to travel to the USA and back, choosing US-based fractionals.
The USA continues to be a popular destination for Jet-Share, particularly the Western states for skiing, and Georgia and Florida for the sun, said Bannock.
Founded in 2002, Jet-Share was one of the first aviation companies in Canada to offer a fractional programme for owners. Fractionals in Canada operate under a mix of general aviation and air taxi rules, which allow Jet-Share to fly owners anywhere to, from and within the USA.
Minimum share for an owner is one-third, which equates to about 100h of flight time a year. Bannock said usage is 275-300h per aircraft for the Cessnas and somewhat less for the King Air.
Jet-Share sticks with Cessna, in part, because of the superior product support. "I can fly in this afternoon and say to my director of maintenance that we had a failure," said Bannock. "He can then get on the phone [to Cessna] and the part will come to our door by 10am the next morning."
Source: Flight International
