DayJet Services, LLC received authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to use Eclipse 500 very light jets (VLJs) in its operations, launching the promise of a new air transportation paradigm. It plans to launch its first revenue flight in the coming weeks.
DayJet Services holds an on-demand air carrier certificate from the FAA authorizing operations under Part 135 of the FAA's regulations. The company is preparing to use its fleet of 12 VLJs to launch the world's first "Per-Seat, On-Demand" jet service.
"This milestone is the culmination of more than five years of dedicated work to develop the world's first fully automated fleet operations system," said Ed Iacobucci, DayJet president and CEO. "We are incredibly grateful to the dedicated FAA teams that have worked alongside DayJet to reach this critical moment in our company's history."
In the coming weeks, DayJet will begin activating member accounts via its online reservation system, allowing members to book reservations and fly. The company will gradually increase its active member base as it expands its operations and its VLJ fleet. This measured approach enables DayJet to monitor the daily progress of operations and to ensure high levels of customer service and fleet availability.
Five Florida points (Boca Raton, Gainesville, Lakeland, and Pensacola) are the initial so-called DayPorts. Tallahassee, which was previously named its first Center of Excellence, is the fifth DayPort. In its first three years, DayJet expects to employ 2,000 in Florida. DayJet market research indicates that business professionals in these markets drive for 86 percent of the 592,000 annual business trips taken between these cities. It also pointed out that between 2000 and 2006, scheduled flights between all Florida markets decreased by 47 percent, while available seat capacity declined by 31 percent. DayJet expects the initial DayPorts to yield a total $94 million annual economic benefit within the first three years of operation.


VLJ Watch
Topics: Cessna Mustang, Eclipse, Helicopters, Connect-a-Jet

Cessna Delivers First European Citation Mustang
Entrepreneur Jane Howell has become the first European customer to take delivery of a Cessna Citation Mustang, the new-generation, entry-level very light jet. Cessna has booked more than 350 orders for the six-place aircraft. The company is on track to deliver 44 aircraft in 2007 and plans to ramp up production to 150 Mustangs per year by 2009. The aircraft has a top speed of 340 ktas, a range of 1,150 nautical miles (1,323 statute miles/2,130 km NBAA IFR Reserves) and a service ceiling of 41,000 feet (12,500 m).

Eclipse Aviation Auctions Eclipse 500 for More than $1.8 Million
Eclipse Aviation named Morten Wagner its Eclipse 500 auction winner in the company's private label online marketplace powered by eBay. While more than 200 people were registered on eBay to bid on the aircraft, there were a total of 15 bids amongst the six bidders. The auction concluded when Morten Wagner of Denmark placed his winning bid of $1,833,945 at 2:00 a.m. his time on August 11, 2007 gaining several year’s jump on the delivery of the aircraft which has a 2,700-unit orders/options book. It normally sells for $1.5 million. Related Story www.aviationtoday.com/ran/categories/bga/14654.html
The 35-year-old internet entrepreneur said he was determined to win the auction and was prepared to make another bid if he had to. Wagner, the founder of his company, Freeway, plans to use his Eclipse 500 for business travel throughout Europe, and to travel between his homes in London, Spain, and Denmark. Wagner said he started flying about a year and a half ago and has been following Eclipse Aviation ever since. He has already accumulated 462 hours and currently flies a Cirrus SR22.
"The fact that we can sell an early Eclipse 500 on an open market for more than $1.8 million demonstrates the enormous demand for very light jets, and particularly for the aircraft that started it all and still offers the market's best value proposition," said Vern Raburn, president and CEO of Eclipse Aviation. "It's exciting to see that the winner is going to put his Eclipse 500 to great use in both his business and personal life."

VLJs May Seed Market for Rotorcraft
What will the potentially explosive market for very light jets mean for rotorcraft? Good things, at least in the eyes of one industry executive, according to a report in RAN’s sister publication Rotor and Wing. Reputable estimates of the market for these aircraft, defined by the National Business Aviation Assn. as those certificated for single-pilot operations and weighing 10,000 lb or less, range from the hundreds to the thousands. The FAA foresees about 5,000 of them flying, most in point-to-point air taxi service. Rather than these little jets being a threat to helicopters, AgustaWestland’s vice president of product marketing, Roberto Garavaglia, sees them as spurring interest in rotorcraft. “I anticipate VLJs will promote interest in aviation even further,” he told Rotor & Wing. That eventually would widen the market for rotorcraft, he said. Related Story www.aviationtoday.com/ran/categories/bga/14887.html

Charter Booking Agent Has Record Bookings
Connet-A-Jet.com, Inc. (CAJT), an online innovator of private jet travel and charter, received the largest quantity of charter booking requests, within a 24-hour time frame, in the history of its organization. CAJT unites all existing worldwide charter operators in the United States to operate under one efficient, real-time, online booking system. CAJT will also coordinate all ground transportation, in-flight catering and will provide real-time flight tracking 24 hours for passengers' convenience.