Charter & Other Nonscheduled Air Transportation Services Industry Profile

Companies in this industry provide domestic and international passenger travel, as well as air freight and mail transportation. Major US companies include Bombardier Flexjet, Global Aviation Holdings, and NetJets.

The US air charter services industry includes about 2,300 companies with combined annual revenue of more than $12 billion. The output of US air transportation, an indicator for charter air services, is forecast to grow at a low rate in the next two years. Key challenges to industry growth include slow economic growth and high fuel prices.

Air charter is the on-demand, nonscheduled transportation of passengers and cargo. Companies that provide scheduled transportation of passengers and cargo are covered in the airlines industry profile.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand is driven by corporate profits and the needs of the US military. The profitability of individual companies depends on effective marketing and customer service. Large companies have advantages in fleet size and name recognition. Smaller companies can compete effectively by serving small local markets and offering lower prices. The industry is concentrated: the 50 largest companies account for about 65 percent of industry revenue.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Major services include domestic passenger travel (60 percent of industry revenue); international passenger travel (15 percent); and air freight and mail transportation (15 percent).

Charter flights are used by wealthy individuals, large corporations, sports teams, the US military, and government agencies. In general, charter flight is more flexible, extensive, and efficient than traditional ...