The COVID-19 pandemic may have sidelined the aviation industry as a whole, but local aircraft companies managed to make the most of their downtime.Based in Camarillo with two hangars at Van Nuys Airport, Sun Air Jets, which ranks No. 6 on the Business Journal’s list of Air Chater Operators, provides private planes at affordable prices, according to Sun Air Jets Director of Business Development Mary Brehm.
Sun Air saw the past year as an opportunity to refuel, so to speak, and even reduce its carbon footprint.“We’ve long been interested into taking big steps in our sustainability,” Brehm said.Sun Air Jets is currently putting finishing touches on an expansion of its Van Nuys Airport hangars, which will be solar powered. In March, the company began adding to its sustainability by opting for cleaner – albeit more expensive – aviation fuel. Yet thanks to an anonymous donor, the company will be able to offer sustainable-fueled planes at the same cost as regular fuel for the first year.Today, Sun Air is committed to its carbon offset program and staying carbon neutral going into the future.
The year also saw an expansion of Sun Air’s fleet, which now stands at 17 aircraft. Two of those planes are Sun Air-owned while the other 15 are either managed or chartered by the company.During the pandemic, the company was lucky enough not to have to lay off or furlough any employees, all of whom began working from home.
“The planes were never grounded, but we implemented safety measures,” Brehm said, as Sun Air employed cleaning and safety protocols, COVID screenings and COVID affidavits, in compliance with Center for Disease Control rules.
These safety measures will continue for the foreseeable future, she said.Meanwhile, Jet Edge International, No. 9 on the list, announced last week that global investment firm KKR will provide the Van Nuys-based company with a credit facility of up to $150 million. The funding will go toward the acceleration of the company’s infrastructure, digital initiatives and reserve membership. The timing is good as it comes right as Jet Edge rolls out its AdvantEdge charter management platform, which simplifies the financial predictability for whole ownership of large cabin and super-midsize aircraft utilizing a time-based model.
“As part of our continued focus on delivering innovative solutions to our clients, we are excited to officially unveil the Jet Edge AdvantEdge program – the first whole aircraft ownership solution that is a true alternative to both fractional ownership and the antiquated traditional aircraft management model,” Jet Edge Chief Executive Bill Papariella said in a statement.
Helicopter marketWith 18 helicopters in its fleet at Van Nuys Airport, including a pair of Sikorsky S-76 aircrafts and three Leonardo AW109s, Helinet, No. 2 on the list, is in the midst of a comeback after a quiet pandemic period.“We’re definitely seeing a bounce,” said Helinet Senior Vice President of Marketing & Business Development Allison Rakun.Helicopter companies didn’t only have the fog of a pandemic year to navigate. On Jan. 26 of last year, NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter were among a party killed when a chopper they were riding to a Newbury Park sports facility crashed in Calabasas. While the helicopter Bryant’s group had rode in has no connection to Helinet, the tragedy may have indirectly shed negative publicity on helicopter companies.“It’s a small industry,” Rakun said. “It was definitely devastating. It’s one of those things where everyone reflects.”If anything, Rakun said, it has spurred companies such as Helinet to double-down on the safe operation of aircraft.“We’ve always made sure that safety is our first priority,” she said.Helinet had one layoff among 90 employees during the pandemic.“We didn’t have to downsize during COVID, we just cut back on our spending on marketing and additional advertising,” Rakun said. “Obviously, trade shows weren’t happening, so we saved money there.”Helinet pivoted to become more cost effective as certain revenue streams saw significant reduction. But that’s now changed.“In the last few months, we’ve definitely seen an increase of business,” she said.The VIP line of chartered helicopters had suffered during the pandemic but now there is pent-up demand.Certain other revenue sources weathered the pandemic better. Helinet provides air and medical transporting for medical teams, including two dedicated aircraft for Glendale-based Children’s Hospital.And the helicopter fleet has become increasingly significant in helping to fight wildfires.The news industry is another sector that kept going and Rakun seemed to suggest that the demand from local media is eternal.“We’re in L.A., so there’s always a car chase,” she said.
Aviation Weathers Lows, Looks Ahead to Highs
