Catalina Aerospace seeks to fill charter-jet service void in Mohawk Valley

ROME — Starting in mid-September, area businesses and residents will have a local option for chartering a flight.

Catalina Aerospace Corp., headquartered in Miami, Fla., is bringing one of its Learjet 31A planes to Griffiss International Airport to offer charter-jet services from Rome.

Benjamin Nemser, owner, president, and director of operations at Catalina Aerospace, is familiar with the area as his girlfriend is from the Mohawk Valley. After spending some time here, he says it was easy to see the need for Catalina’s services as the closest charter services are based in the Syracuse and Albany markets. Aviation Services Unlimited, located at Griffiss, provides helicopter services.

“We decided the Rome area needed air-charter service,” Nemser says.

Catalina Aerospace is bringing one of its eight-passenger Learjets to Rome for a five-month trial period and has hired two pilots to operate the plane. He plans to begin offering charter services Sept. 15, after his pilots complete the mandatory training they must take, he says.

“We’ll have a crew available seven days a week,” Nemser says, and Catalina is cleared to fly anywhere in the Western Hemisphere from Alaska to the tip of South America.

Nemser’s target audience is local businesses with executives who do a lot of business traveling. One example of an ideal client is ConMed Corp., which has locations in Mexico as well as Florida and California, he confirms. 

Charter flights appeal to business people because they cut down on travel time, Nemser says. First, there is the time involved traveling to Syracuse or Albany, the area’s two closest major airports. Next, there is the time involved in the actual flight, which often includes a layover. Recently, Nemser took a non-direct flight — the only flight he could find — to get from Florida to Rome and it took him 11 hours. “This is a place that’s hard to get to,” he says of the Rome and Utica region.

Nemser could have made that same trip in a charter jet in about three hours, and that kind of time savings appeals to business executives, he notes.

“Their time is money,” he says. That’s why they are often willing to pay a bit more — which could range from a few hundred dollars to upwards of $1,000 — for the charter flights to save the time. Nemser did not provide a specific cost for charter flights, which he says vary depending on the destination and other factors.

The Learjet 31A has a cruising speed of 520 miles per hour and a nonstop range of more than 1,000 miles, putting cities like Boston, Washington D.C., and Toronto within 45 minutes of flying time.

Right now, Nemser says he has about half the flights booked that he needs to consider the trial period successful enough to make it permanent. He needs to add one to two more flights per week to hit his goal, he says.

To spread the word, Nemser is planning a mailing that will go out soon to key business executives in the area. He is also advertising with The Business Journals and plans to spend some time getting out in the community and networking. Once the planes are in the air, he expects to benefit from word of mouth.

Nemser declined to provide specific revenue figures, saying only that Catalina’s annual revenue is in the “several million” dollar range. He adds that he expects the Rome operation to contribute to growth in the 15 percent to 20 percent range for the company this year.

Catalina Aerospace is leasing hangar space at Griffiss, which is operated by Oneida County, and will provide service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

Based in Miami, Catalina (www.flycatalina.com) operates four planes with a staff of seven pilots. About half of the Federal Aviation Administration-licensed company’s flights are international. Nemser founded the company in 1999 and also employs a dispatcher, charter-sales manager, accounting manager, company mechanic, and director of maintenance.       

Contact DeLore at tdelore@tmvbj.com