WASHINGTON – The LEAD1 Association, which represents the athletics directors of the 130-member schools of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), together with Private Jet Services (PJS), the largest corporate aviation consultancy in North America, initiated a five-year collective air charter purchasing program that will secure air transportation from licensed air carriers and offer participating schools a fixed hourly rate. The program will include rebates of up to 20 percent for teams who participate during a three-year period.
The air charter program will begin on February 15, 2019, providing regular season travel for spring sports and the 2019-20 fall and winter seasons.
“Our schools spend over $200 million annually on air charter travel,” said Tom McMillen, President and CEO of the LEAD1 Association. “A collective purchasing effort just makes economic sense when you have 130 schools individually contracting for air travel. Safety, however, will be our number one priority.”
The air charter program will launch with 30-and 50-seat passenger planes that have been certified under FAA Part 121 or 135 of Title 14, the highest level of safety ratings given by the FAA.
“We are delighted to partner with the LEAD1 Association and its members to implement an innovative air charter program with competitively priced fixed hourly rates,” said Greg Raiff, CEO of Private Jet Services.
In a multi-year process to improve travel in college athletics, LEAD1 researched the sharp reduction in airlines flying in the charter market, which has resulted in a decrease in the availability of charter planes and pilots and created upward pressures on pricing.
The Association surveyed colleges and universities to determine the viability of a potential program and selected PJS as its air charter partner. LEAD1 then secured expert aviation counsel to ensure that the Air Charter Program fully complies with Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations.
About the LEAD1 Association: LEAD1 represents the athletics directors of the 130-member universities of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Key to the LEAD1 mission are influencing how the rules of college sports are enacted and implemented, advocating for the future of college athletics, and providing various services to our member schools. For more information, please visit www.LEAD1Association.com.
About Private Jet Services: PJS is the largest assemblage of veteran aviation experts in the industry. Founded in 2003 and based in metro-Boston, the company specializes in providing transport category aircraft for mission critical flight programs including professional sports leagues, intercollegiate sports teams, the world’s biggest music tours and multi-national corporations. This niche market requires broad resources, technical expertise, and proactive customer service. PJS has provided intercollegiate air travel for over 10 years, servicing dozens of universities across the United States. For more information, please visit www.pjsgroup.com.
