82.1 F
San Fernando
Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

IJM Execs Quiet While Creditors Await Payment

Executives with International Jet Management are silent on the reasons behind closing its aircraft management and charter office at Van Nuys Airport after less than six months. The West Coast office of the Virginia-based aircraft charter and management firm ceased operations on Jan. 31. Vendors and aircraft owners who were promised payments still have not seen any money, said Ronnie Hadar, an aviation industry veteran hired in October as vice president of business operations. Attempts to reach IJM President and CEO Alex Mack were not successful. International got its foothold at Van Nuys through the acquisition of Pylon International, a charter and management company operating in the 16000 block of Roscoe Boulevard. Pylon co-owners Andrew Kane and Alan Goodman stayed on with the newly named IJM West Kane as executive vice president of operations and Goodman as head of charter sales. A message at the IJM West phone number directs callers with accounting questions to call the corporate offices in Virginia and charter questions to Goodman. “I have no comment,” Goodman said. Kane also declined to comment, saying he had little involvement with the daily operations or management of the business and was not involved with the decision-making resulting in the office closure. “I just don’t have a lot of insight,” Kane said. “I suspect they had other markets they were looking to expand to.” Hadar, on the other hand, was more than willing to talk. A lack of business was not a problem, Hadar said, with charter passengers turned away and referred to other operators. IJM West managed 20 large- and small-cabin jet aircraft, provided maintenance and brokered deals between buyers and sellers. What became problematic was that IJM executives in Virginia were not willing to make recommended changes to the Van Nuys operation, Hadar said. For one, he strongly suggested employing a maintenance crew in Van Nuys rather than contracting those services out, Hadar said. Also, he wanted accounting services to be done onsite rather than back in Virginia, Hadar said. “Maybe they had good intentions when they came in and toward the end they didn’t want to do anything,” Hadar added. IJM not only had good intentions but big plans when announcing the Pylon acquisition and the West Coast operation. In an interview with the Business Journal published in October, Mack said buying Pylon was part of an overall strategy of growing the company to serve the U.S. and Europe. Bringing in high-dollar clients and their airplanes would help IJM West to become a much larger company, Mack said in the interview. Kane worked for Arthur Andersen and later served as CEO of HSBC Private Bank before investing in Pylon with Goodman. The companies joined because of their similar business strategies and emphasis on quality, safety and service, Kane said in an interview with the Business Journal. His plans for IJM West was making the short-haul market for business and leisure travelers and for medical emergencies its core business while also offering cross-country flights in larger jets.

Featured Articles

Related Articles