Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Houston Business Leaders Love New Low Cost Air Taxi Service

Houston based Freedom Air Charters (www.freedomaircharter.com) announces new air service for busniesses whose busy leaders need to be there and back in a single day.

"Perhaps now more than ever, businesses need to get out and meet customers face to face in order to grow and prosper"

Houston, TX (PRWEB) December 30, 2009 -- People can spend up to 60 minutes or more passing through TSA security checkpoints while departing on a typical morning flight from William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Freedom Air Beechcraft Baron 58
Freedom Air Beechcraft Baron 58
For executives and business leaders on a ever tighter schedule that can be a real problem, said Freedom Air Charters CEO, Chris Castillo, 35, of Houston.

Castillo launched the air charter service earlier this year called Freedom Air Charters. The company Headquarters is based at Ellington Airport (EFD) in Houston with satellite offices throughout Texas in Dallas, McAllen, Victoria, San Antonio, and Corpus Christi as well as Iowa. Our goal, Castillo said, is to give business executives the freedom of choice when it comes to where and when they'll fly.

"Because we are flying smaller aircraft - a Beechcraft Baron 58 - We can fly into airports and runways the bigger jets can't reach," Castillo said. "It gives people a choice of which airport they'll fly into, which can save them even more time and money." Castillo also illustrated the economic factors "our aircraft cost one third the price of a small corporate jet but over a distance from say Houston to McAllen there might be only 15 minutes difference."

According to Castillo, there are many smaller airports in the state of Texas - records show there are more than 20 airports in the Houston area including the three large airports - executives and business leaders can choose the one that's closest to their final place of business.

While air charters are nothing new, and Castillo concedes there are dozens of jets available for charter out of Hobby Airport alone, he said he's created a new market by flying smaller less expensive aircraft. His aircraft seats 5 passengers, and can cruise up to 245 mph with costs running $495 per hour of flight time for the entire plane.

Castillo's company focuses on destinations that are within three-and-a-half hours of flight time from Houston.

"A lot of businesses have downsized to the point they've either gotten rid of a corporate jet, or they've downsized their fleet," Castillo said. "But they still have offices in different parts of the state and they still need to be at meetings there, sometimes at the last minute. We're really designed for business travelers who don't have time to waste at large airports."

Castillo purchased RNC Air Services LLC, a wholly-owned subsidary of Freedom Air Charters, in October. Launched with funds raised from private investors, the company began targeting local companies for clients and now books between two and three flights each week. According to Castillo, the biggest expense is fuel for the aircraft, which will cost him $10,000 a month.

According to Freedom Air Charters Global Communications and Public Affairs Officer, Lea Bentley, one of the challenges facing air charter services is how to maximize use of the plane. "It's a tough business model to make work unless you have a strong solid plan," Bentley said. "In a perfect world, you would fly someone to a city, then have someone in that city ready to fly back - for the main reason that you don't want to fly an empty ‘leg' home."

That's one of the reasons we're targeting business travelers who need to go somewhere and come back the same day," Castillo said. "A lot of people don't realize if you have a meeting away that only lasts one or two hours, you don't need to stay overnight and spend time away from your office, or away from your family."

Freedom Air Charters Safety and Compliance Officer Greg Flowers says “Perhaps now more than ever, businesses need to get out and meet customers face to face in order to grow and prosper. Freedom Air Charters is in the Community to provide the vital services to bring people, goods and services together. We are ever mindful of the needs of our clients, the Beechcraft Baron 58 will provide an improved air transportation service to the entire region.”

"The Baron presents another safe and reliable option for the traveling public. It is well suited to fulfill the small twin engine niche,” noted Earl Phillips - Freedom Air Charters Quality Assurance Officer.

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[Via Legal / Law]

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