First Wing Charter and Management, an Indianapolis-owned and based private air charter operator, recently added a new business jet to its growing fleet, a Citation Sovereign. The aircraft was added to the fleet in order to meet the increasing demand for private air travel caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic.
First Wing experienced a slight decline when air travel was halted in March but recovered with record growth between April and June at more than 75 percent. Total flying time in June 2020 was more than 40 percent higher than the total flying time of the fleet in June 2019.
“We have been operating private air charter out of Indianapolis for the past 25 years,” said General Manager Andy Yergler. “Over the years, we’ve seen the demand for private air travel increase, especially in recent months due to the global pandemic. More and more people want to fly privately in order to keep their family, friends and colleagues safe and healthy. Some of the benefits of private air travel is traveling with only people you know, operating with limited staff on board and avoiding busy airport terminals. In order to meet the growing local demand, we have expanded our charter fleet and pilot crew.”
The Citation Sovereign is one of the top-selling midsize private jets on the market. The Citation Sovereign features a stand-up cabin, seating for nine passengers, Wi-Fi, inflight entertainment and more. The aircraft has a distance range of 2,500 nautical miles and can accommodate nonstop trips to the West Coast, Colorado, Florida and more.
The fleet is comprised of number Cessna Citations, including Sovereigns, Excels and a Bravo. The company employs 13 full-time pilots and is hiring for additional positions.
“Our local pilots are some of the most experienced in the industry,” said Yergler. “We continually meet and exceed industry safety standards, and each of our airplanes are disinfected using EPA and hospital-grade disinfectant prior to and after each scheduled flight. Our customers have continually thanked us for giving them peace of mind when they travel.”
The new Citation Sovereign recently underwent an extensive upgrade to install Winglet Technology’s unique transitional winglet design. The project, completed by Eagle Creek Aviation (the parent company of First Wing), provides the aircraft with greater operations flexibility and performance. This is the first winglet installation completed by Eagle Creek Aviation, located at Eagle Creek Airport in Indianapolis.
To learn more about First Wing Charter and Management, visit https://www.flyjetaccess.com/charter/.
To learn about our COVID-19 procedures, visit https://www.flyjetaccess.com/covid19/.
About First Wing Charter and Management
First Wing Charter and Management is a Part 135 air charter operator based in Indianapolis, Ind. under FAR135 certificate by First Wing Management #F27A770J. First Wing offers exclusive, private travel experiences to destinations across the U.S., Caribbean and Bahamas. First Wing is owned and operated by Eagle Creek Aviation. Eagle Creek Aviation provides the full spectrum of aviation services, including FBO services, maintenance, aircraft sales, charter and more. Eagle Creek also owns First Wing Jet Center, the FBOs at Indianapolis Executive Airport (TYQ) in Zionsville, Ind. and Frankfort/Clinton County Municipal Airport (FKR) in Frankfort, Ind. First Wing operates a flight school, First Wing Flight. To learn more, visit https://www.flyjetaccess.com/.
