Year In Review: Big Moments for Jet Linx in 2022

The private aviation industry moves at a notoriously fast pace. Market conditions shift quickly; consolidation, acquisitions and mergers can reshape the playing field overnight. With so much activity it can be tempting to plow forward and never look back at success. Let’s pause for a moment to reflect and celebrate the advances and accomplishments that made 2022 a spectacular year for Jet Linx.

January – The Return of Jet Card Sales, Regional Base President Summit

In response to industry-wide supply challenges, Jet Linx announced a temporary suspension of Jet Card Membership sales in October 2021. On January 1^st of this year, Jet Linx resumed Jet Card sales on a limited basis with a waitlist and tiered priority structure under the overarching Fleet Demand Assurance Program to maximize fleet access continue to securely guarantee availability for all Jet Card Members.

The Jet Linx National Operations Center (NOC) hosted a two-day Regional Base President Summit. The Summit provided an opportunity to take inventory of the company, including goals and challenges at the halfway point of the fiscal year. Leaders from various NOC teams – including Human Resources, Crewing and Flight Operations – presented at the Summit, sharing what was happening in their areas of the company, along with what the Regional Base Presidents could do to ensure continuity in service delivery and continued company growth.

Jet Linx expanded partnerships in the Elevated Lifestyle client benefits program to include Worldwide Boat, a boutique private yacht charter company; RESET Telluride, a luxury wellness and trekking retreat; and Style Union Home, a collection of bespoke handmade ceramics. As the newest partners to join the Elevated Lifestyle program, Jet Linx Jet Card Members and Aircraft Owners now enjoy exclusive and proprietary offers from each brand.

February – 2021 Supply the High Grand Prize Winner Announced, Multiple Leadership Summits Take Place at NOC

The winning nomination for the 2021 Supply the High Grand Prize celebrated Joe Packard, Base Chief Pilot for Dallas/Fort Worth, and his demonstration of the Jet Linx core values of dedication, compassion, enthusiasm and selflessness. Packard’s winning nomination stems from his willingness to go above and beyond to assist a new pilot hire during Indoc training – while managing his own duties as a new Jet Linx pilot himself. With no hesitation, Packard took the new hire under his wing and spent countless hours offering additional coaching on aircraft differences. In 2021, 462 Supply the High program nominations were made (130 more nominations than 2020), with 43 monthly winners representing 50 Jet Linx team members across the country. 

In February, the NOC hosted multiple leadership summits, including a three-day Base Leadership Summit, a Jet Card and Aircraft Management Sales Summit and a Base Chief Pilot Summit. The collaboration of dozens of leaders from a variety of departments resulted in best practices, tools, and solutions to help address challenges and take advantage of opportunities in the industry.

March – Jet Linx Miami’s Grand Opening & New Website Launched

While celebrating the formal grand opening of the company’s 20^th Base location at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport, Jet Linx also announced the acquisition of Southern Jet, a Boca Raton-based charter and aircraft management company. With the opening of Jet Linx Miami and acquisition of Southern Jet, Jet Linx became one of the largest Aircraft Management and Jet Card Membership companies serving South Florida. The 3,200-sq-ft terminal at Miami-Opa Locka features multiple seating and lounge areas, a conference room, an executive lounge, as well as a bar and café.

Jet Linx debuted a new website that offers a robust user experience reflective of the commitment to personalizing private aviation. Featuring a sophisticated and modern design and compelling content that encourages visitor engagement, the website also features two new interactive tools – the Private Jet Program Finder, designed to help prospective clients with identifying private jet solutions for their unique travel needs, and the Elevated Lifestyle Trip Planner, connecting Jet Linx flights with partner companies and hotels.

April – Jet Linx Partners with ATP Flight School to Create New Career Path for Pilot / Durham Lecture & Bill Shea Award / 30^th Addition of SOAR

In April 2022, Jamie Walker, President and CEO, and Jet Linx were honored with the Bill Shea Award at the 31st annual Durham Lecture and Honors Convocation at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. The award honors aviation industry leaders that have gone above and beyond to offer their time, energy, and resources to positively impact the aviation industry. The award honors William F. Shea, an aerospace educator, lecturer, renowned aviation industry leader and pioneer and recipient of numerous awards and Presidential appointments. The award was presented after the Durham Lecture Series, a panel discussion on the state of the industry that included Omaha Airport Authority Board Member Willy Theisen, David “Fig” Newton, Southwest Airlines System Chief Pilot, and Jet Linx’s Jamie Walker, moderated by Scott Tarry, PhD, the Director and Professor for the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) Aviation Institute. The panelists discussed the shared histories of their organizations, focusing on how their cultural DNA and focus on customer service ultimately brought them all together in the Destination 225° pilot pathway program.

Jet Linx announced a new partnership with ATP Flight School (ATP), the nation’s largest flight school, to create a new hiring pathway program that provides qualified ATP candidates with a direct path to join Jet Linx as a First Officer upon reaching qualifications as outlined within the program. The new partnership will enhance the pilot pipeline for Jet Linx and increase potential career opportunities for ATP students, graduates and instructors seeking to establish their career as a pilot in the private aviation industry. Through the new partnership with ATP, over 2,000 qualified students and flight instructors from ATP will have access to career opportunities with Jet Linx.

April also saw the publication of the 30th edition of the award-winning SOAR magazine. The first edition of SOAR was published in the summer of 2014 and topped out at 44 pages. The 30th marks a milestone: 3,900 total pages of exclusive SOAR magazine content, each created and produced entirely by the in-house marketing team. The award-winning publication also earned a Platinum Award from the 2022 Hermes Creative Awards.  

May – Team Members Fly on Surprise Trip to DC / JW on AviationPros Podcast / Jet Linx Launches Internal Safety Podcast (How Do You Read Me)

After appearing on NBAA News Hour’s Thought Leadership Edition, Jamie Walker, Jet Linx President and CEO, joined AviationPros’ Editorial Director Joe Petrie for a discussion on the recent opening of Jet Linx at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport and the acquisition of Southern Jet at Boca Raton Airport. The AviationPros Podcast features the leading minds across the aviation industry discussing the most pressing industry issues. During the podcast, Walker explained the value that Jet Linx has brought to the marketplace in Southern Florida. He noted that while Florida was already a hotbed for private aviation, much of the activity comes from local operators that don’t have the same operational capabilities as a national operator such as Jet Linx.

On May 4, 2022, five members of the Jet Linx team from the National Operations Center were given the opportunity to fly on a Jet Linx private jet to Jet Linx Washington D.C. with members of the Jet Linx executive leadership team, experiencing Jet Linx Five-Star flight firsthand. After arriving at the D.C. Base and meeting members of the local team, Walker arranged for a surprise sightseeing tour of the nation’s capital, led by Washington D.C. Personal Flight Concierge Khalid Nadim. Even on a scheduled day off, Nadim provided an enthusiastic tour of D.C. to visiting team members and prepared beverages for them ahead of their departure back to Omaha – a perfect example of Jet Linx Five-Star service in action. The private jet flight, exceptional service and spontaneous sightseeing tour served as a perfect example of the magic moments that all Jet Linx team members work together to create – both for clients and for one another.

The Jet Linx safety department launched a new internal podcast called “How Do You Read Me?” In each episode, Vice President of Safety RD Johnson interviews a member of the Jet Linx team to explore our commitment to safety and how safety is reflected across the organization. For the first episode, President & CEO Jamie Walker joined Johnson for a conversation on safety. The podcast reinforces safety communication and promotion as a part of the Company’s robust Safety Management System (SMS).

June – The Sixth Annual Jet Linx Safety Summit / 5^th Consecutive Wyvern Wingman Certification

On June 14, 2022, Jet Linx team members nationwide came together to partake in the sixth annual Safety Summit. Under the banner of “Forward Together,” the Summit included a yearly safety performance review as well as presentations on emergency preparedness, fatigue, and mental health. Jet Linx welcomed two keynote speakers: Captain Darren Ellisor from Southwest Airlines and human fatigue expert Dr. Mark Rosekind. Ellisor was a crewmember on Southwest’s Flight 1380, which on April 18, 2018, experienced an engine incident and explosive cabin decompression. Dr. Rosekind previously served with the NTSB as an on-scene board member for seven major accidents and is credited with leading research that has earned awards from NASA and the National Sleep Foundation.

Jet Linx once more secured designation as a WYVERN Wingman Certified Operator by maintaining Wingman status through the Flight Leader Program by WYVERN.  The WYVERN Wingman Standard, the first air charter audit standard in the aviation industry, provides a safety benchmark that allows air charter customers to assess performance expectations against recognized industry best operating practices before purchasing air charter services. WYVERN Wingman Operators are evaluated by the Wingman Standard criteria. The scope of the evaluation includes an evaluation of operational activities, review on the company operational history and safety records, Safety Management System (SMS), internal evaluation program, administrative compositions, technical documentation, pilot and aircraft records, training requirements, and maintenance operations including technician training and experience. Jet Linx has maintained this elite safety status with WYVERN every cycle since 2014.

July – Jet Linx Enterprise and Tier II Executive Jet Cards Relaunched / Jet Linx University / E&E Theme / Core Values Awards and Superlatives Announced / High Fliers

In response to market demand, Jet Linx proudly announced the return of additional Jet Card programs, including the Enterprise Jet Card – designed uniquely to serve its corporate clients, and the Tier II Executive Jet Card Membership – a card that caters to leisure travelers who fly less frequently than its Tier I Executive Membership offering.

Jet Linx hosted its All Team Annual Town Hall at the NOC on July 26, 2022 – sharing achievements and performance over the last fiscal year, along with team member engagement survey results, benefits updates and much more. The event introduced the team to the theme for the upcoming fiscal year, Engage & Elevate. The theme celebrates the next step in taking the Company to a higher altitude by investing in our people and culture, effectively meeting the challenges of supply and demand in the private jet industry, continuing to add aircraft to our fleet and pursuing the finest Five-Star client experience.

The inaugural winners of the new Jet Linx STH-5 Core Value and Superlative Awards were also announced, with 10 team members honored for their outstanding performance and contributions to our Company and culture through their demonstration of the Jet Linx STH-5 core values.

• Dedication Award: Cory Ogren, Base Chief Pilot
• Integrity Award: Darren Rogers, System Chief Pilot
• Compassion Award: Chelsea Floerchinger, Personal Flight Concierge
• Enthusiasm Award: Arturo Guerrero, Lead Line Service Technician
• Selflessness Award: Carla White, Senior Concierge Trainer
• Salesperson of the Year: Scott Wilbanks, SVP, Regional Aircraft Management
• Crewmember of the Year: Austin Mattson, Pilot
• Maintenance Team Member of the Year: Tina Fincher, Maintenance Program Coordinator
• NOC Team Member of the Year: Tyler Stansberry, Junior Business Analyst
• Five-Star Concierge of the Year: Kara McKiernan, Personal Flight Concierge

The Jet Linx High Fliers program recognizes the Base locations that achieve the highest attainment of their budget goals annually, measured in six different budget categories. The 2021/22 winning Base locations represent the power of the Jet Linx core values in action in all roles and functions, and were announced in July 2022.

• Aircraft to Budget Goal – Jet Linx Omaha
• Jet Cards to Budget Goal – Jet Linx Indianapolis
• Operating Expense Efficiency to Revenue – Jet Linx Miami
• Overall Revenue Hours to Budget Goal – Jet Linx Omaha
• Charter Hours to Budget Goal – Jet Linx Omaha
• Jet Card Hours to Budget Goal – Jet Linx Miami
• Star Performer – Jet Linx Omaha

In July 2022, Jet Linx proudly made good on the promise of Jet Linx University (JLU), a learning and development platform available to all team members in all departments. JLU features course progressions that align with a team member’s career journey and are available on demand. JLU offers five core course progressions including INDOC and onboarding, leadership lessons for management, department-specific training, compliance, and professional development courses. Jet Linx has formed a partnership with LinkedIn Learning that will eventually provide the capability for Jet Linx team members to access more than 8,700 courses and over 200,000 learning resources such as tutorials and video clips for a wide variety of topics.

In furtherance of the Company’s pro-pilot efforts, in July 2022 Jet Linx introduced three different scheduling options for Jet Linx pilots. Flex is the traditional option that offers fewer duty days and overnight trips. The Fixed schedule option provides the predictability of eight days on and six days off, but with more duty days and overnights required, as well as only certain aircraft types being eligible at this time. The Free schedule options comes as part of the new Aviators Continuing to Elevate (ACE) Pathway, allowing retiring Part 121 pilots to fly part-time for Jet Linx on a day rate basis.

August – Leadership Summit / New Careers Site Launched / JL Fort Worth Wins Five-Star Base of the Year

Jet Linx hosted its annual Leadership Summit at the National Operations Center in August 2022. The goals of the Summit include celebrating success over the last fiscal year, recognizing team member’s dedication and perseverance, and creating a unified focus around next fiscal year’s strategic plan. The Leadership Summit also gives National Operations Center teams the opportunity to present to the group on recent updates. While together in Omaha, the entire Jet Linx leadership team worked together to Supply the Change, spending an afternoon volunteering at the Foodbank of the Heartland.

On August 25, 2022, Jet Linx launched a new microsite specifically dedicated to the career opportunities. The new site carries the same Five-Star branding as the Jet Linx public-facing website, but with content specifically curated to a potential team member. Prospective team members can easily navigate to relevant information on a variety of topics, including benefits, team recognition programs and initiatives, crew life and pathways, the history of Jet Linx and much more.

The Jet Linx Five-Star Base of the Year award also made its inaugural debut in August 2022, with Jet Linx Fort Worth taking home the top honor. The new award speaks to the enhanced focus on service standards and elevating the Jet Linx client experience to new heights. Fort Worth secured first place because of the team’s 95% composite Five-Star score following Company-wide audits examining and grading up to 70 Five-Star service standards between facility and pre- and post-flight expectations.

September – New Capacity Management Team

To further optimize fleet utilization on behalf of our Aircraft Owners and Members, Jet Linx launched a new team fully dedicated to Capacity Management. The team works alongside revenue management and operations, assisting with crew scheduling, aircraft staffing, fleet capacity, overseeing of in-fleet line checks and much more. 

October – The 10^th Anniversary of the Tutu Project, JL Engage App Launch

Jet Linx celebrated its eighth year of partnership with The Tutu Project in October 2022. Since 2015 Jet Linx has helped raise $337,335 for The Tutu Project, with $48,760 raised in 2022. These funds go directly to support breast cancer patients and their families with the real-world costs of the disease that are not covered by insurance. In total, Jet Linx team members, clients and friends of the company snapped more than 600 tulle-rific photos as part of the 2022 #Dare2Tutu fundraising campaign.

Officially launched in October, the Jet Linx Team Engage App offers a round-the-clock connection for members of the Jet Linx team to HR resources, annual open enrollment, Jet Linx University, personalized benefits views and more. The App also offers direct access to information on careers, the ability to set up job alerts, direct access to benefit contacts and even news and insights from Jet Linx. The Engage App represents another significant step forward in team communications and technology efforts.

November – Jet Linx Sponsors Bombardier Safety Standdown / New Jet Linx Scottsdale Terminal Revealed

The three-day Annual Bombardier Safety Standdown took place on November 8, 2022, and drew more than 450 in-person attendees while offering access to thousands of other flight crews, maintenance technicians, dispatchers and schedulers through a free webcast. Jet Linx served as a corporate sponsor for this important annual aviation safety event, with takeaways from the event to be used to further safety standards at Jet Linx and provide insights to improve the Jet Linx Safety Summit.

Jet Linx revealed a newly completed standalone private jet terminal at Scottsdale Municipal Airport. The new facility features a 30,000-square-foot aircraft hangar attached to the 3,000-square-foot client-only terminal, which includes a central lobby with individual workstations, a private conference room and a fully stocked kitchenette and refreshment bar. Serving the area since 2012 as the seventh Jet Linx Base, Jet Linx Scottsdale now offers Members and Owners larger and more personalized space. Additionally, direct access to a ramp and private gate allows Jet Linx clients to park on the runway and board planes directly from their vehicles while a private, covered parking area securely stores clients’ vehicles during their trip.