Executive AirShare Expands at Richard L. Jones Jr. Airport
Executive AirShare has announced that the fractional aircraft ownership company has expanded its presence at Richard L. Jones, Jr. (Riverside) Airport in Tulsa (RVS), by adding a second aircraft, a Beechcraft King Air C90B, to serve the growing number of Tulsa-area businesses seeking the advantages of business aircraft.
Executive AirShare launched its fractional service in Tulsa with U.S. Beef Corporation, owner of Arby’s Restaurants, acquiring a fractional interest in a Super King Air 350. Executive AirShare also operates aircraft for owners based in Kansas City, Mo., Wichita, Kan., Fort Worth and Dallas. Executive AirShare operates a total fleet of 11 aircraft, which includes two Beechjet 400As, three Super King Air 350s, five King Air C90Bs and one Beechcraft Baron.
“U.S. Beef Corporation was interested in owning and operating our own aircraft, but after weighing all of our options, Executive AirShare just made more sense,” said Jeff Davis, Chief Executive Officer of United States Beef Corporation. “Executive AirShare provides us with full-time experienced flight crews, and manages all of our aircraft service, insurance and maintenance needs.
It’s definitely an easier, more affordable way to own an aircraft.”
“The great thing for us is that we can use whichever aircraft best suits our needs on a given day,” said U.S. Beef President John Davis. “We’ll use the Beechjet when we need to fly a greater distance or when speed is a factor, but the King Air suits our needs most of the time. It’s like having a fleet of aircraft at our disposal.”
By allowing companies and individuals to purchase partial ownership in an airplane, Executive AirShare offers the benefits of aircraft ownership at a fraction of the cost. Each participant pays for an initial share in the aircraft, monthly fixed costs, and low-cost hourly operating rates. In return, owners are given a set number of days and flight hours in which they may use the aircraft annually, and Executive AirShare takes care of all the details including hangar rental, insurance, pilots’ salaries and training, fuel, engine and airframe maintenance, and cleaning and stocking of the plane.
Executive AirShare’s fractional ownership plan is unique in that its owners are provided with use of the aircraft for an entire day, unlike national ownership plans that fly multiple clients to different locations on the same day on the same aircraft. By assigning an aircraft to only one owner per day, Executive AirShare is able to adapt to changes in owners’ schedules, offering complete flexibility and convenience.
“We don’t want our owners to feel like they are part of an air taxi service,” said Robert D. Taylor, president and chief executive officer, Executive AirShare. “The major advantages of our regional fractional ownership concept are that owners fly in their aircraft the majority of the time and they know the pilots that fly their airplane.”
“The employees of Executive AirShare value the privilege of providing our shareowners and their guests the highest level of service with the safety standards of a Fortune 500 company flight department,” said Keith D. Plumb, vice president and chief operating officer, Executive AirShare. “Our customers predominately fly in their aircraft and know their pilots on a first name basis. We are your flight department, at a fraction of the cost of owning your own plane.”
Richard L. Jones, Jr. Airport is a 700-acre facility located in the southern Tulsa metropolitan area that serves as the “reliever” airport for Tulsa International, and supports general aviation including single engine aircraft, turboprops and business jets.
Executive AirShare is based at the Christiansen Jet Center at Riverside Airport, which has recently added a 17,000-square-foot hangar to its fixed base operation (FBO), which now offers a total of 76,000 square-feet of hangar space and 16,000 square-feet of office space. Christiansen Jet Center is the premiere FBO of Tulsa.
Founded in 2001, Executive AirShare operates a fleet of jet, turboprop and twin-piston aircraft serving owners throughout the Midwest. The company is based at Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport in Kansas City, Mo., and also operates from Mid-Continent Airport in Wichita, Richard L. Jones, Jr. (Riverside) Airport in Tulsa., Meacham International Airport in Fort Worth, Texas, and Dallas Love Field Airport in Dallas. For more information about the company and its services, contact Keith Plumb at (816) 221-7200 or log onto the company’s web site at www.execairshare.com.
Updated 12-18-2006
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