Justin Martin
10/01/2005
The new category of cheaper-to-operate VLJs will enable companies to offer regularly scheduled short-hop services, better known as air taxis.
Two main rivals—and a host of fly-by-nights—have emerged in this market. Pogo is run by industry veterans Robert Crandall, retired CEO of American Airlines, and Donald Burr, founder of People Express. DayJet is the brainchild of Ed Iacobucci, the founder of Citrix Systems.
Pogo has ordered 75 Adam A700s, while DayJet has ordered 307 of Eclipse’s VLJ. Therein lies the first challenge: air taxi models are predicated on planes that have not yet passed muster with the FAA. But the stickier challenge may be scheduling. Air taxi services require very efficient plane utilization, based on complex computerized scheduling applications. Both Pogo and DayJet are scrambling to develop these. “It’s a highly speculative market. But if air taxis catch on, VLJ sales will skyrocket,” says Jens Henning, manager of operations for the General Aviation Manufacturers Association in Washington, D.C.