Six Companies That Charter Turboprop Aircraft

When it comes to chartering turboprop aircraft, several companies stand out for their comprehensive services and fleet options. Here are five notable companies that offer turboprop charter services:

1

Mercury Jets

Turboprop efficiency and access to shorter runways

Photo: Thor Jorgen Udvang | Shutterstock

Mercury Jets offers an extensive range of turboprop aircraft for charter around the clock. They emphasize turboprops’ efficiency in accessing shorter runways, which can reduce overall travel time by landing closer to final destinations.

Mercury Jets offers turboprop models for charter, such as the Beechcraft King Air 200 and 350 and the single-engine Pilatus PC-12. The aircraft are known for their spacious cabins and luxurious seating.

2

Stratos Jet Charters

Stratos offers the ubiquitous King Air for charter

Stratos Jet Charters was founded in 2006 by Joel Thomas. Stratos offers a selection of single- and twin-turboprop aircraft in charter options, including the Beechcraft King Air series.

The company established a strong focus on safety in the private aviation industry. Stratos Jet Charters is one of the first brokerages monitored by a third-party safety agency, Aviation Research Group US (ARGUS). It has maintained high safety standards throughout its operations.

Stratos operates as a private aircraft charter broker based in Orlando, Florida. It offers various services, including pay-as-you-go jet cards, on-demand charter flights, and related services such as aircraft acquisition, cargo jet charter, and medical air transport.

3

Wheels Up

A big player in the private aircraft charter space

Wheels Up was founded in 2013 by Kenny Dichter, previously the co-founder of Marquis Jets, a fractional aircraft ownership company. The company aimed to address the soaring cost of private flying and reinvent personal air travel, making it more accessible through a membership-based business model.

Photo: Catharine Pierce | Shutterstock

Wheels Up made news in the aviation industry when it bought 105 Raytheon Beechcraft King Air 350i aircraft valued at $1.4 billion. Wheels Up thereby quickly established itself as a strong presence in the private aviation market. A unique aspect of its marketing focus was enlisting PGA Tour members as members and brand ambassadors. In December 2019, Delta Air Lines acquired a 95% stake in Wheels Up.

4

Harbour Air Seaplanes

The largest seaplane airline

Harbour Air Seaplanes, based in Victoria, British Columbia, is an iconic seaplane airline known for its extensive services along the West Coast of Canada and the Northwest United States.

Harbour Air was founded in 1982 as Windoak Air Service, initially providing seaplane charter services for the forestry industry in British Columbia. Over time, it expanded its operations to include scheduled flights and air tours. In 1993, Harbour Air acquired Trans-Provincial Airlines, adding to its charter services and operating scheduled flights.

Today, Harbour Air is the world’s largest all-seaplane airline and North America’s first carbon-neutral airline. It operates a fleet primarily composed of Canadian-built de Havilland aircraft – all but the DHC-2 Beaver are turboprop-powered, and Harbour is converting those to electric power, creating an electric prototype known as the eBeaver.

• DHC-2 de Havilland Beaver: Capacity for up to 6 passengers.
• DHC-3 de Havilland Turbine Single Otter: Capacity for up to 14 passengers.
• DHC-6 de Havilland Twin Otter: Capacity for up to 19 passengers.
• Cessna Grand Caravan EX: Capacity for up to 9 passengers.

Harbour Air offers customizable charter flights, allowing passengers to choose their destinations. These services can accommodate various travel needs, including group travel to remote locations, marinas, private islands, and city centers. The flexibility of charter flights makes them suitable for accessing a wide range of destinations across the Lower Mainland, Sunshine Coast, Gulf Islands, Vancouver Island, and Seattle.

5

Surf Air

A subscription-model aviation company with an emphasis on electrifying its fleet

Surf Air is a Los Angeles-based aviation company that offers regional flight services focusing on developing electric aircraft solutions. Surf Air provides access to regional semi-private flights through a subscription model, allowing members to fly frequently between various destinations.

In addition to scheduled flights, Surf Air offers on-demand charter services using various aircraft, including turboprops. Customers can book entire aircraft for personalized travel experiences.

Surf Air is actively working on electrifying its fleet to provide more sustainable and cost-effective air travel options. By developing hybrid and fully electric powertrains for its aircraft, Surf Air aims to reduce emissions and operating costs.

Surf Air initially operated its aircraft under an FAA Air Carrier certificate. Founded in 2013, the company operated a fleet of Pilatus PC-12 aircraft. However, in 2017, Surf Air transitioned its flight operations to Encompass Aviation, a third-party operator, and surrendered its FAA Part 135 certificate. Since then, Surf Air has relied on third-party operators for its flights, such as Encompass Aviation, JSX, and Advanced Air, rather than operating its aircraft.

6

Tradewind Aviation

Operating the Pilatus PC-12 turboprop

Tradewind Aviation, based in Oxford, Connecticut, provides private and scheduled charter flights across North America and the Caribbean. Their services include private charter flights.

Photo: Pilatus Aircraft

Tradewind offers a fleet of Pilatus PC-12 turboprop and Cessna Citation CJ3 Jet aircraft, and recently announced expanded service in the Caribbean region. David Zipkin, Tradewind Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer, commented,

“Since the opening of our Southeast base last year near Palm Beach, Tradewind saw great success with our Pilatus PC-12 private charter offerings to the Bahamas’ outer islands amongst our local and seasonal clientele base as we were able to meet the market gap for efficient and cost-effective private flight service to these highly sought-after locales.”