www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-cover2808jul28,0,6 -
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Published on: 7/28/2008
Last Visited: 7/29/2008
John Staten, DayJet's chief financial officer, says the company now has more than 2,000 members.The typical customer, he said, is a middle manager making between $60,000 and $90,000 a year.
"We focus on road warriors," Staten said.
In many respects, it appears to be a poor environment for an aviation company to be expanding.Fuel prices have exploded to record levels, consumer spending is falling and credit markets are collapsing.
But while DayJet is not immune from those problems, Staten said it is far less exposed than other airlines because its fleet of tiny jets is particularly efficient.He said fuel accounts for just 18 percent of DayJet's costs, compared to more than 50 percent at some larger airlines.
And Staten said the hostile environment actually helps DayJet because those same high fuel costs are forcing many commercial airlines to reduce flying on regional jets -- which typically serve the same kinds of cities that DayJet targets.
Take Delta Air Lines.
...
And DayJet's model from the very beginning has been to focus on the secondary and tertiary markets," Staten said.