Corporate advisory
Corporate aviation advisory
We help companies choose between fractional ownership, jet cards, charter and a flight department. The decision must serve the executive team's travel while giving finance and the board a sound basis for approving the cost.
We are paid by the client and take no operator commissions or referral fees.
Before committing
The business case for private aviation
Private aviation's value depends on where the company needs to go and what commercial service can accommodate. We document time saved on the company's own routes, access to destinations poorly served by commercial aviation and security considerations for key personnel. Finance can weigh those specific benefits against the expenditure.
An operator can explain its program; selecting that program also requires a comparison with the alternatives. We establish which options meet the company's travel requirements and whether the access they provide warrants the ongoing cost. Our recommendation and its financial basis are documented for finance and board review.
Program economics
The cost and obligations over the term
Proposals may use different assumptions about hours flown, aircraft and what is included in the price. We compare them using the company's expected travel and market benchmarks. A lower flight rate may not produce the lower annual budget once the program's other costs are included.
A quieter year can reduce flying without removing the fixed obligations in a fractional program or flight department. We include that exposure when recommending the program and the level of access the company should commit to.
Contract terms can also change which proposal we recommend. Peak-day conditions may limit a program's usefulness on required dates, fee escalation affects future budgets, and exit provisions affect the company's ability to change course. We advise on those commercial terms; the company's counsel handles legal review.
Flight department considerations
Whether a flight department is warranted
Recurring use may support a flight department's fixed costs, but total hours do not settle the choice. A dedicated aircraft also gives the company control over its cabin and crew, which may carry more weight than the lowest projected cost.
One aircraft cannot cover simultaneous departures or every cabin and range requirement. Supplemental access remains part of the ownership budget. A fractional program can provide access to other aircraft categories through interchange, subject to its terms, charges and availability.
We compare the value of that control with the staffing, maintenance, hangar, insurance and supplemental access the company would need to fund. This keeps the ownership decision tied to the operation the company would actually have to support.
Ongoing advisory
Accountability during the term and at renewal
In an ongoing account management engagement, we review billing against the contract and utilization against the allocation. Reporting on trip costs, budget variance and department use gives finance a record of how the program is performing against the original business case.
Good service and a suitable commitment are separate questions. An operator may be meeting its obligations while the company is using less of its allocation or needs different aircraft. Our oversight considers both service performance and whether the program still suits the company.
At renewal, that history informs whether to retain the program, adjust it or move to a different structure. We compare the renewal offer with current alternatives using actual travel and spending, rather than carrying the original purchase assumptions into another term.
Working with your team
A defined role alongside the company's own advisors
An engagement may address a new program, a specific issue with an existing commitment or a renewal. Ongoing account management is a separate engagement. The scope and fee are agreed in advance.
Operator safety review belongs with the company's own aviation specialist. We frame the questions for that review and report what each operator publishes about its training, maintenance and safety ratings.
The company's tax advisors determine tax treatment, including the consequences of personal use for both the company and the executive. We supply the usage and cost figures for their analysis.
An aviation commitment needs a clear business case. We assess the company's travel requirements, compare the cost and access of suitable options, and advise on a new program, an existing arrangement or renewal.
Discuss your company's aviationCommon questions
Frequently asked questions
Nothing here is tax or legal advice, and those questions belong with the company’s own advisors.
Prepared by Fractional Aviation Advisors. About our principals. Last updated October 2026.