Posts 60% Growth Overall; Florida Market Booming
Pioneering air taxi provider SATSair announced this week the
2007 fiscal year marked strong growth for the company's on-demand
services, and that the trend has continued through the first
quarter of 2008.
SATSair experienced over 60% growth in the number of flights
from 2006 to 2007, according to the company. The "air-cab"
operation flew more than 16,000 flights and landed in 27 states in
2007. SATSair ended the year with over six million passenger miles
flown since the company's inception in November 2004.
The most noteworthy year-to-year growth took place in Florida,
which saw a 314% increase in flights over 2006. While Florida
showed the most notable growth, SATSair notes every state SATSair
flew to in 2007 saw an increase in flights from the previous year,
including considerable growth in the company's core six-state
region in the southeastern United States.
"We're extremely pleased with our 2007 and 1Q 2008 numbers and
the growth they represent," said Steve Hanvey, SATSair CEO and
President. "2007 was a landmark year for our innovative business
concept. In 1Q 2008, we have seen that trend continue even with the
broad economic concerns of today. This is our fourth year in
business; we're continuing to refine our air cab model that
provides economical personal travel for our growing customer
base."
SATSair's headquarters is located in South Carolina, which had
an average of three flights per day into major economic centers in
the area, such as: Greenville/Anderson/Spartanburg,
Charleston/Beaufort/Hilton Head, Columbia, and Myrtle Beach.
Just as importantly, of 60 public
use airports in South Carolina, SATSair's Cirrus SR22s landed in 47
of them... providing the start of an effective South Carolina
Intrastate Air Network.
Traditionally, the use of the air cab service has been a remedy
for driving trips of 2-5 hours, not a replacement for other forms
of air travel. However, 2007 saw a shift with a significant number
of new SATSair customers using the point-to-point air cab operation
as a solution to their hub-and-spoke airline frustrations and woes,
in fact decreasing the door-to-door travel times.
Nearly 90% of the company's business for 2007 was in a six-state
region, comprised of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina,
South Carolina and Virginia. SATSair currently serves more than 600
airports throughout the Southeast.