VOLATO ORDERS 15 NEW HONDAJETS

Rapidly-growing fractional ownership and charter provider Volato announced in early January it had placed an order for 15 HondaJets to add to its fleet. Volato started up in September 2021 with a single, four-passenger HondaJet Elite S, then added two more in December and currently flies five of the light jets. The Atlanta, Georgia, based operator says it is on pace to have 12 jets by the end of 2022 and a total of 22 when this latest order is fulfilled.

Similar to other fractional programs, Volato offers 5-year terms with shares ranging from 1/16 share to full ownership. Fractional owners are charged $3,200 per flight hour plus fuel, but owners may benefit from the company’s by-the-hour charter service that returns a portion of that revenue to the fractional owners. Although most customers are in the southeast, the demand is such that Volato is considering expanding to bases in Baltimore, Maryland, and Carlsbad, California, possibly as early as the first quarter of 2022.

The Elite S has a range of 1,437 nm with four fully adjustable leather seats in a club configuration, two stowable executive tables, surround sound, a full galley and an enclosed lavatory as well as 66 cubic feet of cargo space. Volato manages all maintenance, fees, and flight operations including two-pilot crews on all flights. Flights can be self-scheduled by customers through the company’s app.