First Eclipse 500 Provider On Site

If you thought Sir Richard Branson's recently unveiled Virgin Charter online marketplace was exclusively for high-end bizjet customers, think again. On Thursday, air taxi provider Linear Air announced it has joined the newly launched Virgin Charter... making Linear Air the only company on the network to offer the Eclipse 500 VLJ.

As ANN reported, Virgin Charter launched its full-service online marketplace earlier this month, following a five-month open beta trial. The service functions similarly to a brokerage service, but with no direct intervention; company executives say Virgin Charter simply brings together buyers who want to book private air travel with charter operators.

Through Virgin Charter, sellers make their inventory available to a large customer base without changing the way they currently do business, and buyers search for available aircraft, negotiate pricing, purchase private air travel, and manage their entire trip online. The company does not own or operate aircraft.

"We are thrilled to be a part of the Virgin Charter Marketplace and look forward to servicing their customers throughout the Northeast, mid Atlantic and eastern Canada," said William Herp, president and CEO of Linear Air. "Linear Air’s inclusion in this select network speaks to our outstanding service and safety record, of which we are very proud."

The Linear Air fleet includes the three-passenger Eclipse 500, and eight-passenger Cessna Grand Caravan turboprops. Linear Air offers business and leisure travelers access to more than 500 cities in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and eastern Canada from its bases in Boston, New York and Washington, DC.

FMI: www.virgincharter.com, www.linearair.com