Bringing Personal Air Travel to Everyone

Glenn Gonzales believes that most air travelers – just like those traveling on the ground – desire autonomous and efficient travel. For many fliers, however, that kind of trip is currently out of reach.

His company, Jet It, seeks to reduce the barriers to using business aviation, with a business model that, instead of hourly charter rates or fractional ownership, offers a hybrid of fractional ownership and the use of an aircraft – currently a fleet of HondaJets and Gulfstream 150s – for a full day. Owners pay only for the time the aircraft is in use, and there are no repositioning fees, fuel surcharges or landing fees.

Gonzales says that the reduced cost to customers has brought a new clientele to his company.

“’Normal’ people ride in our airplanes,” declared Gonzales. “Entrepreneurs who recognize the value of their time who were flying commercial or more expensive fractional operators can now justify the expense of fast, reliable, safe and comfortable air travel.”

All-day use of Jet It aircraft allows for multiple legs, a benefit that many customers take advantage of.

With a distinguished military aviation background, subsequently serving as an international demo pilot at Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. and a regional sales manager for the Eastern U.S. at Honda Aircraft Co., Gonzales says that he “learned all things aviation in the Air Force, and then learned what customers really want at Gulfstream and Honda Aircraft.”

While pursuing a master’s in business administration and a masters in aeronautical sciences, he studied the history of transportation and aviation, concluding that if they had the opportunity, most people would prefer autonomy and privacy in their travel choices.

“Business travel will become the new private travel,” predicts Gonzales.

A highlight of his career came when Gonzales flew a long-time mentor of his, U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. (ret.) Charles McGee, an original Tuskegee Airman, as part of McGee’s 99th birthday celebrations. The general, now deceased, handled the right-seat duties in the HondaJet during those trips.