Private Carriers Chart Courses

One has a $100 million fleet of jets.
One has a fleet of two planes.
Both help keep the northwest Arkansas economy soaring.
Area private air charter services are limited to three companies, but the options are nearly unlimited for everyone from the busy CEO to retirees who want to take a jaunt without spending several frustrating hours in an airport.
Private charters carry executives and engineers, payloads and pencil pushers. They also carry a perception of being available only to the high and mighty, not the hungry and humble.
“It’s just unusual to see one charter operator fill all the needs,” said Art Ray, president of Crown Aviation Inc. of Springdale. “The big guys don’t want to mess with the little things, and the small guys can’t afford the big planes. It’s a pretty even field.
“Most don’t think about it because they’re thinking it’s a Lear Jet that can carry 10 people and, ‘I can’t afford that.’ They don’t realize there are all different sizes and price ranges for aircraft available.”
The different needs of the market keep Crown, Executive Aviation Services of Fayetteville and area titan Jetride plenty busy, not only with their own flights, but also referring business to each other.
Mark Myers of Executive Aviation, who currently operates a Kingair 200 multi-engine plane and a Diamond Jet out of Drake Field at Fayetteville, flies executives and famous clients such as Arkansas football coach Houston Nutt.
He also flies small business owners and more vacationers than ever. EAS has recently gone from two or three pleasure junkets per year to two or three per month.
If Myers is booked, he’ll refer customers to Nelson Erdmann of Pinnacle Air. If a customer needs a more affordable option, he sends them to Crown.
“Art is providing a service that won’t run $2,000 to run a Kingair to Little Rock,” Myers said. “It’s the same thing with Nelson. When we’re overflowed, I’ll refer people to him. They have good equipment and good crews.”
Pinnacle Air purchased Columbus, Ohio-based Jetride in 2006 for $41 million and began doing business under its name. The company is currently consolidating its operations under one FAA certificate. The acquisition grew its array of plush jets from 12 to 27 based in 13 cities across the nation, including two at Springdale Municipal Airport. The fleet is worth around $100 million. The company has 143 employees in 25 states nationwide with operations from Las Vegas to Bridgeport, Conn.
Jetride offers Gulfstream III and IV jets, Lears and Falcons. The Gulfstream IV can fly nonstop from northwest Arkansas to Honolulu.
In a post-9/11 world, more and more companies are discovering private charters can be cost effective in time and money.
Jetride flies many executives in northwest Arkansas and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. owns a fleet of 23 jets based at Rogers. Tyson Foods Inc. of Springdale bases its fleet at Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport while companies like Superior Industries and Bentonville-based ANB Financial N.A. hangar planes at Drake Field.
“If a company is sending six or seven employees to a 2 p.m. meeting in New Jersey, they can’t come back until the next day flying commercial,” Erdmann said. “Then figure in six or seven hotel rooms, three meals a day and it ends up costing about the same price. But you have the benefit of going when you want and doing business en route.”
Ray and Crown carry a lot of freight for companies that can’t wait until the next day for shipments to arrive. He took 200 charters last year and prepared to do 250 to 300 this year by adding a multi-engine Piper Chieftain to his fleet.
“An assembly line in Memphis with 100 people making $20 an hour is a huge payroll twiddling their thumbs waiting for a part,” he said. “I can take a load of plastic tubes from a company in Springdale and get there in 90 minutes instead of them waiting until 10:30 the next morning.
“For $1,000, that’s a relative bargain.”
Springdale, Rogers and Fayetteville are all in the process of expanding their municipal airports.
Springdale completed six new hangar bays in 2005 and recently broke ground for six more to bring its capacity to 69. There is a 25-name waiting list to land hangar space in Springdale.
Fayetteville has 77 of 80 hanger spots occupied and three large hangars are either under construction or being planned.
“As the economy expands, we all have a role to play,” Myers said.