Linear Air

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Linear Air is a private air charter and air taxi service that is headquartered just outside of Boston in Concord, Massachusetts, near their home base, Hanscom Airfield. In 2004, Linear Air began an operation focused on addressing demand between the large market for commercial air travel and the very small market for private air travel. Linear Air provides charter and scheduled services specializing in short hop, point-to-point alternatives to commercial flying. The company now bases its fleet at a number of locations including Westchester County Airport in White Plains, New York as well as Manassas Regional Airport in Manassas, Virginia. Linear Air is currently serving the North East and Mid-Atlantic in addition to seasonal trips in the Caribbean.

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[edit] History

The company was co-founded in the summer of 2004, by President and CEO William Herp, and Director of Operations Michael Goulian. With the help of an initial round of funding and just two employees at the time, Linear Air began operating a propjet aircraft in the emerging air taxi industry. In just over a year, the company reached over 25 employees. As a founding member of the Air Taxi Association, Linear Air among other air taxi operations, is trying to speed the adoption of the air taxi model to make it available to an increasing number of businesses and individuals.

[edit] Destinations

Linear Air can currently fly to over 500 locations in the northeast and mid-Atlantic United States, Canada, and they operate seasonally in the Caribbean. As a charter and air taxi service, they offer flights that fall within the range of their fleet. With bases in Bedford, Massachusetts (Hanscom Field), Westchester County, New York (Westchester County Airport), and Manassas, Virginia (Manassas Regional Airport), the company offers travel options to major metropolitan areas on the east coast as well as smaller, more convenient airports closer to passenger destinations. In addition to chartered flights, they also offer scheduled flights from Bedford and Westchester to Nantucket Memorial Airport in Nantucket, Massachusetts. Because Linear Air operates as an on-demand operator, their scheduled service is limited by government regulations to four scheduled round trips per week for each route (FAR 119.3).

[edit] Fleet

Linear Air currently operates a fleet of executive-configured Cessna Grand Caravans, and has just taken delivery of their first Eclipse 500's. The Cessna Grand Caravan is a turboprop jet engine aircraft with its engine manufactured by Pratt & Whitney. The aircraft has a range of 600 miles and a cruising speed of 184 miles per hour. While capable of seating 12, the cabin interior has been readjusted to seat up to 8 passengers. The Grand Caravan offers executive club like seating as well as a large luggage capacity. The Eclipse 500, manufactured by New Mexico based, Eclipse Aviation, is one of the first VLJ's (Very Light Jet). In a brand new class of jets, it offers seating for four, in addition to two pilots, and has a cruising speed of 345 mph. The plane is powered by two lightweight Pratt & Whitney Canada PW610F turbofan engines.

[edit] Recognitions

Linear Air has officially been recognized with a Gold rating from the leading independent safety auditor, Aviation Research Group/US (ARG/US), and their story has been covered by the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, BBC, Forbes, among others. Linear Air is also a founding member of the Air Taxi Association (ATXA).

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