Stratus Alliance Network Adds More Aircraft Charter Operators

HOUSTON, March 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Stratus Alliance, the low-cost aircraft charter network aimed at business and pleasure travelers, has announced the signing of three additional regional charter operators to provide aircraft and crews to service new regions of the country as the Stratus network continues to grow.

Stratus Alliance is pleased to welcome Florida-based Destin Air Charters, San Antonio-based FlighTime, and Pittsburgh-based AirQuest Aviation. These new operators will complement Open Air, the inaugural Stratus Alliance Network operator, and will offer service from airports within a 50 mile radius of Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Destin, Houston, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Antonio and Washington, D.C.

These operators will fly destination direct(R) charter flights using the three-passenger Cirrus Design SR22, the world's best selling airplane. Flights will be booked using the network's simple and secure quoting and reservation system, found at http://www.stratusalliance.com.

The Stratus Alliance Network is designed to provide an affordable aircraft charter option for business travelers who need to increase productivity by fitting more city stops into their day. The luxurious Cirrus SR22 provides safe, comfortable air charter travel for as little as $395 per hour (for the entire plane), which compares favorably to the $1,200 per hour cost of larger charter aircraft such as a King Air.

Further, aircraft charter within the Stratus Alliance Network is not limited to business executives, managers or sales personnel seeking time-saving flights into hundreds of smaller cities served by local municipal airports. This low-cost air charter network is also popular among families traveling with small children, couples seeking a weekend getaway, golfers, hunters, or college-bound students looking for an affordable way to visit several college campuses in the same day.

"We are pleased to welcome Destin Air Charters, FlighTime and AirQuest into the Stratus Alliance Network," said Regis de Ramel, a founding partner of Stratus. "As word spread about the cost savings of flying aboard the technologically-advanced Cirrus, more operators inquired about becoming a part of our growing network. And because these operators have already been certified by the FAA, they will be able to immediately provide a high level of safety and security to travelers in our network from day one."

Harold Graves, another of Stratus' founding partners, explained how the company plans to service more regions as their nationwide network expands. "We increase aircraft fleets for the operators in our network through our Managed Aircraft Charter Leaseback (MACL) Program," Graves said. "This program offers attractive revenue generation opportunities for owners of new Cirrus SR22 aircraft. We anticipate that as we grow, these aircraft owners will see a continual increase in hours flown as more passengers learn about the convenience and cost savings of chartering a Cirrus."

For more information about booking charter flights in the Stratus Alliance Network, or becoming an aircraft owner/operator in the MACL Program, visit http://www.stratusalliance.com or call 866-336-0819.

Contact: Regis de Ramel or Harold Graves, 866-336-0819

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