Cirrus SJ50 Vision Jet Chosen For SATSair Air-Taxi Operations

SATSair, an air-taxi operator based in Greenville, S.C., has announced it will add Cirrus Design's new SJ50 single-engine jet to its fleet of 26 Cirrus SR22s. The jets will expand the range of the company's present air-taxi services, SATSair CEO Steve Hanvey said on Tuesday. "Our business model is based on operating single-pilot and single-engine planes at the lowest cost of operation, when utilized in a network across a given geographical area," he said. "The Vision is an excellent next step to a mixed fleet that will continue to provide personal service to our current customer for legs longer than our traditional 200 to 250 mile trips." He added that the Vision parachute is an important consideration for single-pilot operations. The company has placed an initial order for five jets, Hanvey told AVweb on Wednesday, but expects to expand the fleet in the future.

Customers have been eager for the company to add jet service to its offerings, Hanvey added. "The Cirrus Vision will meet the additional demands of the personal air market and will fit our business model perfectly," he said. SATSair serves the Southeastern U.S. region, and offers both "retail" flights that can be reserved up to a week in advance and also block-time discounts.