A turbulent year for Surf Air has finally come to an end. Exciting recent updates have already resulted in massive improvements to its scheduled service and membership growth.
A recent lawsuit against Encompass Aviation, its former flight operating partner, has been settled. Under the terms of the settlement, Surf Air has regained full access to its entire fleet of branded Pilatus PC-12s, an unfortunate consequence of negotiations that caused severe disruptions to the company.
“By doubling down on our most popular routes and eliminating non-core flying we have proven route profitability and that the fundamental business model works. Our plan for 2019 is to continue to invest further into these core markets and expand access to Surf Air through new, more flexible membership product offerings,” says Surf Air Chairman & CEO Sudhin Shahani.
Recent Club Updates:
A Robust Core Schedule
Surf Air has rebuilt a core schedule and added more flights across its most important routes: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and Lake Tahoe. The company will continue to add flights as it continues to acquire more members.
The company will also add back leisure weekend destinations as it makes sense (Las Vegas, Napa, Monterey, and Palm Springs).
Best-in-Class Reliability
With the help of Advanced Air, the company’s current third-party flight operator and long-time partner, they’ve restored operational reliability to its former best-in-industry levels of over 90% completion factor.
“Advanced Air has been a critical partner during this transitional period. With their proven professional and safety record, they’re the perfect, value-aligned partner to continue to scale our business,” says Sudhin Shahani.
Flexible, Per-Seat Membership
Perhaps Surf Air’s most promising opportunities for scaling membership growth is the new Express membership, allowing flyers to buy and fly on a per-seat basis. Meaning, for the first time, less frequent flyers can enjoy the time-savings benefits of zero hassle air travel.