NEW ORLEANS – Capital Air Express, a Georgia-based air charter operator, announces fleet and airport base expansions towards convenient travel options for business and leisure travelers, partnering with Gracen Jules, a New Orleans-based aviation venture firm.
Capital Air Express, which is part of the Anderson Aviation group of companies based at the Atlanta Regional Airport/Falcon Field in Peachtree City, Georgia, is focused exclusively on affordable and convenient charter services for its rapidly growing community of customers located throughout the eastern United States.
“We love the business of aviation and feel we have found our niche in this air charter space, along with our membership-based flying club and aircraft maintenance service also based at Falcon Field,” says Andrew Anderson, founder and CEO of Capital Air Express. “We’re excited to add planes and new markets as we grow, and, with recent FAA approval to operate through the Bahamas, we’ve truly established a full-service charter operation that has the right reach, aircraft fleet and affordable pricing towards supporting all types of customers.”
Capital Air Express & Gracen Jules Partnership
The partnership between Capital Air Express and Gracen Jules adds three aircraft to its air charter operation, with all three aircraft featuring premium passenger cabins and state-of-the-art, all-glass Garmin instrument panels. Gracen Jules has also provided two additional Garmin-glass aircraft to the Atlanta Flying Club, which is part of the Anderson Aviation companies that owns Capital Air Express.
“The most exciting part of aviation for me is providing fellow pilots and travelers comfortable access to the air, and this opportunity to provide a fleet of planes to Capital Air Express and the Atlanta Flying Club is truly a dream come true,” says Jay Taffet, founder and CEO of Gracen Jules. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my partnership with Andrew and his group of aviation companies, and I look forward to a life-long partnership with Andrew and his wife Rebecca, who runs their flying club, and, of course, plenty of flight time for their pilots and passengers!”
Although Gracen Jules is focused on aircraft leasing in the flight training space, Taffet says he wanted to assemble his own fleet of advanced trainers (older Piper aircraft upgraded with Garmin-glass cockpits) and place them with an operator for long-term participation.
“The owner of Capital Air Express is a good friend and I’m a big fan of how he’s diversified his place in this part of our industry – he’s a true visionary, and, given how he’s structured the pilot skills/experience progression through the flying club into charter operations – and positioned his maintenance shop to support all of it – he’s created his own baseball farm team system – something I’ve not seen before done this well!” said Taffet.
Base at New Orleans Lakefront Airport Opens
Capital Air Express is an FAA-certificated, Part 135 air charter company providing year-round flight support in its fleet of Piper Saratogas and Piper Malibus, both 6-seat, high-performance piston aircraft that feature low operating cost and extended trip range towards affordable and convenient air charter for both business and leisure passengers. It operates from several airport bases in Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia and Florida, and will be opening a new base at the historic Lakefront Airport in New Orleans in July.
Air Charter’s Broader Reach
Air charter is typically associated with jets and expensive luxury travel but it doesn’t have to be that way according to Taffet. “With the right planes, pricing model and destination planning, you can fly private air charter very affordably, and certainly with more personal convenience than driving or on the airlines! There’s nothing like the fluid movement through a private air terminal (FBO) at an executive airport that you just walk into, relax and then join the pilot to the plane for quick/personal boarding and then you’re in the air within a few minutes,” said Taffet.
With 5 passenger seats on all their planes, Taffet says a chartered flight can become “super economical” with passenger cost sharing. “The opportunities are endless – business travel to Shreveport; a law meeting in Little Rock; family beach trip to 30-A; over to Houston for oil/gas; up to Memphis for a holiday weekend…all around 2 hours in a private plane with a gorgeous view versus a day in the car!” said Taffet.
More information on Capital Air Express is available at Capital Air Express.
About Gracen Jules and Jay Taffet
Gracen Jules was founded in 2014 by Jay Taffet. Taffet is a long-time entrepreneur and venture leader, and an aircraft transaction and leasing consultant for multiple aviation investment funds. He is a commercial-rated pilot, a former Air Force pilot and a graduate of Vanderbilt University. Taffet lives in New Orleans with his wife Moriah and two daughters, Gracen and Jules.
