Verijet Takes Off at KPNS, Revolutionizing Private Aviation
As pilots, we always love being in the air, and when we can experience flight in a new way, it is that much more rewarding. Last week I had the opportunity to experience what is without a doubt the future in private air travel, compliments of our Coflyt Board Member Richard Kane and his innovative new company, Verijet. Richard brought his vision (no pun intended) of private air travel using the Cirrus Vision Jet (SF 50) to Pensacola (KPNS) for Verijet’s official launch and first flight. If you have not seen the new SF 50, you’ve got to find an opportunity to climb aboard this absolutely amazing aircraft! Verijet’s goal of revolutionizing private aviation was made for the SF 50, and I believe this will ultimately be the way we all choose to travel in the not-too-distant future.
Currently, Verijet’s operating specifications were approved on October 16, with their Air Carrier Certification expected October 21. But the Verijet vision is much larger than becoming just another Part 135 operator with cool planes. Imagine private travel that begins where you are. Yes, literally – right where you are. The Verijet app is designed to summon the nearest Uber driver, determine where the closest suitable airport is for your flight and bring it all together for a perfectly seamless connection. It all makes too much sense to be true, but Richard and his team are in the process of delivering on this vision! Coflyt is super excited to be part of this revolution as we match our vision of aircraft management with the future of air travel.
Initially, this private travel will price out on the Vision Jet at about $2750 / hour with the ability to haul four adults and two children. The simple transparent pricing – with real availability checks – is unique to private charter and there are never any reposition costs or overnights. Want to take yourself and three buddies to a ballgame that is a four hour round trip? For about $2750 each you’ll enjoy the ride from doorstep to stadium – without ever entering a public airport, TSA line or waiting to board your flight! Expensive, yes, but it is more affordable than many Part 135 options, and when you consider the time saved, it becomes much more realistic for many business and vacation travelers.
When I first heard Richard’s story regarding Verijet, it was one of those moments when I knew that it would work, and that I was hearing something unique – an idea that was different than any I had heard about in the aviation industry before.
Richard is taking proprietary AI, which understands aircraft routing to assure that he provides the most efficient and effective service available. The ultimate goal is for this to not only be the means of travel for the wealthy, but a means of travel that makes sense for many working Americans.. As the fleet grows, along with the efficiency and the positive environmental savings associated with the SF 50 compared to other aircraft, the price of Verijet travel is expected to come down, putting it within the reach of more and more travelers over time. While it will never cost as low as $200 per seat, I do believe the total value of the fight and time saved will ultimately attract people who currently find that Part 135 travel is out of their reach.
As I am writing this, I checked a flight on Delta Airlines from PNS to MEM and the price is $670 for a First Class seat, with a total trip time of four hours and 24 minutes. This flight also includes a wonderful hour and a half layover in ATL. That means that when you include an arrival at your departure airport an hour and a half before takeoff, you are committed to at least six hours travel time on Delta just to get from Pensacola to Memphis! Because we are trained to accept this, we seldom stop and think about what the airline’s hub and spoke model has done to the efficiency of air travel. The answer is they have killed it! If you add the minimum one hour it takes to get off the plane and out of the airport in Memphis, along with the 30 minutes it takes to get anywhere in the city, you are now looking at seven hours and 30 minutes from your home to wherever it is you are going in Memphis. I used to live and fly out of Memphis, so I’m more than familiar with this example. Do you know how long it takes to drive from Pensacola to Memphis? Seven hours maximum – and that’s with a lunch stop! You can literally drive the 450 miles from Pensacola to Memphis faster than you can make the trip door-to-door using Delta Airlines, or any other carrier using connecting flights. This same flight with Verijet would be one hour and 20 minutes, and door-to-door probably a total of two.
By the way, private air in general wins these type trips every time, so if you are not pursuing your pilots license, it’s time!
As with most of the world, technology is changing aviation, and Verijet is capitalizing on the technology equipped in the Cirrus Vision Jet to assure the most efficient and safest travel available. From the latest in Garmin Avionics, including Safe Return, to the lowest carbon footprint available in private jet travel, the Verijet team is teaming up with industry partners to deliver the best possible experience for their passengers.
Coflyt is excited to be a part of that team, delivering information to Verijet pilots using our innovative digital tools to help move Part 135 travel past the days of paper management and delivery and into the future. These are exciting times for air travel, and we can’t wait to see what is next, as aviation begins to capitalize on the innovative technologies available today!
