JetFlite International forms JFI Russia

JetFlite International (JFI) has
entered an agreement with Moscow-based Best-Jets to help JFI develop its
business aviation interests in Russia. The
new venture is called JFI Russia.

At the NBAA in Las Vegas, JFI announced three major
organisational changes with the promotion of Harold Henderson to Long Beach
base manager from director of operations; Damon Danneker to director of
operations from chief pilot; and Dan Kokosenski to chief pilot from assistant
director of operations.

In
addition, Honeywell has selected JFI to be a launch customer for Honeywell’s
Mechanical Protection Plan (MPP). “For nearly 15 years we’ve used Honeywell
services initially its Maintenance Service Plan (MSP) on our Garrett engines
and on our Gulfstream APUs and more recently we used the Global Design Center
(GDC) and Honeywell Avionics Protection Plan (HAPP),” said JFI chief executive
officer Bill Cripe. “We are delighted that we’ve been chosen as a launch
partner to use MPP to protect our environmental and controls systems on our
Gulfstreams. Environmental and cabin control systems are a big investment, an
investment worth protecting.  The Mechanical Protection Plan is a great
extended warranty program for these systems.”

JFI
was awarded a Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Part145 repair station certificate
from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).  The certificate was
issued to the JFI JetCenter at Long
Beach Airport
on 5 October 2011.  The new repair station certificate will allow JFI to
perform scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, repairs and alterations on a
number of aircraft models that are well represented within the JFI fleet.

Regarding
JFI Russia, JFI has been utilizing Best-Jets’ handling services and aircraft
for the past five years. “With JFI located in California
and New York, trying to get a foothold in Russia is
nearly impossible without having people and staff located there,” Cripe said.
  Best-Jets was established in 2006 and has quickly become one of the most
experienced Russian companies in aircraft crewing services, technical support,
and aircraft management.  We will now have sales, handling and dispatch,
and new business lead support in Russia.”

Last
month JFI expanded its Moscow presence by adding
a Challenger 601 based at Vnukovo
Airport and adding to its
sales and dispatch staff there.

“From
our perspective Moscow
is an emerging market and there is a lot of opportunity there,” Cripe
said.  “This summer in Moscow
we flew one of our airplanes over 80 hours a month in charter.  We have
expertise that is unique to a US
operator working in Russia.
We have been offering a Gulfstream G200 out of Moscow and were confident enough that we
moved another airplane, a Challenger 601 there.  There is a good chance we
will be adding a Gulfstream GV there.”

Cripe
said JFI has three major hubs of aviation, New York,
Moscow, and the
West Coast where it has operating bases. 

Carrie
Simpson, JFI’s vice president sales and owner relations, said, “the Moscow market is going to
prove key to JFI’s operations in the coming months and years.”  “Our
customers fly out of Moscow to throughout Russia and Europe, the United States, the Galapagos Islands, Seoul, Korea,
Asia, even Kabul, Afghanistan.”

JetFlite
International has been a premiere provider on demand charter and aircraft
management as well as aircraft sales and acquisitions for more than 20
years.  JetFlite International was formerly known as Air Rutter
International.