XOJET Aviation LLC
{{Short description|Private airliner provider service}}
{{use mdy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox airline
| airline = XO Global LLC
| logo = XO (private aviation).svg
| ICAO = XOJ
| callsign = EXOJET
| founded = 2006
| fleet_size = 180
| headquarters = Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States
| founder = Paul Touw, co-founder
Keith Krach, Co-founder
| key_people = Andreas Mauritzson, President & COO
| frequent_flyer =
| parent = Vista Global
| num_employees =
| website = {{URL|flyxo.com}}
}}
XO (formerly XOJET) is a US-based private aviation company and subsidiary of Vista Global with its headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. XO, with a worldwide fleet access of more than 1,450 private aircraft, offers clients on-demand private jet charters with fixed-price membership programs as alternatives to jet cards and fractional ownership of aircraft. The company also offers the ability to purchase individual seats on pre-arranged, shared flights.
Services
XO is an on-demand private jet company.{{cite news |last1=Rosenbloom |first1=Stephanie |title=Private Flying for (Some of) the Rest of Us |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/25/travel/private-flying-for-some-of-the-rest-of-us.html |access-date=23 February 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=22 August 2013}}{{cite news |last1=French |first1=Sally |title=Afraid of Airlines? There's Always the Private Jet |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/30/travel/private-jets-coronavirus.html |access-date=23 February 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=30 July 2020}} It operates in the same market as competitors NetJets and Flexjet.{{cite news | last1=Takahashi |first1=Dean |title=Silicon Valley's airline: XOJET takes off as corporate jets lose favor |url=https://venturebeat.com/2008/11/25/silicon-valleys-airline-xojet-takes-off-as-corporate-jets-lose-favor/ |access-date=19 February 2021 |publisher=Venture Beat |date=25 November 2008}}
The company offers a number of private jet charter programs that allow customers to choose their arrival and departure points.[http://www.marketwatch.com/story/xojet-announces-xojet-elite-accesstm-the-next-generation-in-guaranteed-private-jet-programs-2012-03-15 WSJ Market Watch], XOJET Announces XOJET Elite Access™--The Next Generation in Guaranteed Private Jet Programs, Retrieved March 30, 2012{{cite news | last1=Calvey |first1=Mark |title=Bay Area private jet company takes headquarters to Florida | url= https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2020/01/27/bay-area-private-jetcompany-takes-headquarters-to.html |access-date=14 February 2021 |publisher=San Francisco Business Times |date=29 January 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Burger |first1=Jeff |title=The XOJET Difference |url=https://www.bjtonline.com/business-jet-news/the-xojet-difference |access-date=19 February 2021 |publisher=Business Jet Traveler |date=February 2013}}{{cite news |last1=Calvey |first1=Mark |title=New owner of Peninsula's XOJet wants to go after America's billionaire set |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2018/09/20/xojet-acquisition-vistajet-buffett-private-planes.html |access-date=19 February 2021 |publisher=San Francisco Business Times |date=20 September 2018}}
In July 2017, XOJET launched Select Access, a new $50,000 membership level; added lite- and mid-size jets to its Elite Access program; and instituted a program for membership with monthly fees.{{cite news | last1=Williamson |first1=Carrie |title=Fly Private, Do Safely |url=https://www.leadersedge.com/lifestyle/fly-private-do-safely |access-date=14 February 2021 |publisher=Leader's Edge Magazine |date=25 September 2020}} In August of that year, XOJET reported it serviced more than 7,000 clients worldwide.{{cite news | last1=Larsen |first1=Keith |title=Private jet charter company opens office at Palm Beach airport |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/news/2017/08/09/private-jet-charter-company-opens-office-at-palm.html |access-date=19 February 2021 |publisher=South Florida Business Journal |date=9 August 2017}}
{{multiple image
| align = right
| direction = vertical
| width = 260
| image1 = XOJET Bombardier Challenger 300 N538XJ approaching Newark Airport.jpg
| alt1 =
| caption1 = An XOJET Bombardier Challenger 300 approaching Newark Liberty International Airport
| image2 = N753XJ Cessna Citation X (cn 750-0053) (6836782920).jpg
| alt2 =
| caption2 = An XOJET Cessna Citation X
}}
History
XOJET was founded in 2006{{cite news | last1=Lattman |first1=Peter |title=XOJet Gets $2.5 Billion for Expansion |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB121115569038102311 |access-date=23 February 2021 |publisher=The Wall Street Journal |date=19 May 2008}} by Paul Touw{{cite news | title=XOJet starting joint venture in Middle East |url=https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2008-05-19/xojet-starting-joint-venture-middle-east |access-date=19 February 2021 |publisher=AIN Online |date=19 May 2008}} and Keith Krach{{cite web | title=Most Admired CEOs 2015 |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/print-edition/2015/11/13/ceos-docusign-keith-krach-tech-esignature-document.html |website=BizJournals |access-date=20 September 2021}} as a private jet charter company with customers purchasing a set number of annual flight hours, similar to fractional ownership.{{cite news | last1=Harrison |first1=Kirby |title=Economies of scale drive Xojet business model |url=https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/aviation-international-news/2006-09-28/economies-scale-drive-xojet-business-model |access-date=19 February 2021 |publisher=AIN Online |date=28 September 2006}} The company is based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.{{cite news |last1=Bandell |first1=Brian |title=Aviation firm to relocate to Fort Lauderdale, create 250 jobsl |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/news/2020/01/27/xojet-to-move-hq-to-fort-lauderdale.html |access-date=21 May 2021 |work=South Florida Business Journal |date=27 January 2020}}{{Cite web |title=XO Invests In AI To Improve Processes As Demand Grows {{!}} Aviation Week Network |url=https://aviationweek.com/business-aviation/aircraft-propulsion/xo-invests-ai-improve-processes-demand-grows |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=aviationweek.com}}{{Cite web | title=Vista Global combines XOJet and JetSmarter into XO |url=https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/79614-vista-global-combines-xojet-and-jetsmarter-into-xo |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=ch-aviation |language=en}}
=Acquired=
TPG Capital and Mubadala, two of the world's largest private capital investors, acquired XOJet in 2009.{{Cite news | last=Lattman |first=Peter |date=2008-05-19 |title=XOJet Gets $2.5 Billion for Expansion |language=en-US |work=Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB121115569038102311 |access-date=2022-09-01 |issn=0099-9660}}{{Cite web |title=XO Jet becomes part of Vista group {{!}} Times Aerospace |url=https://www.timesaerospace.aero/news/business-aviation/xo-jet-becomes-part-of-vista-group |access-date=2022-09-01 |website=www.timesaerospace.aero}} They shared a controlling interest in the company.
In February 2017, XOJET said it had retained Perella Weinberg Partners to explore financial options, including a possible sale or merger.On September 20, 2018, Vista Global (founded by Thomas Flohr in 2018 and the parent company of VistaJet), said it had reached an agreement to acquire the fleet and commercial operations of XOJET. In April 2019, Vista purchased the Florida-based mobile booking app developer JetSmarter.{{Cite web | last=Frank |first=Robert |title=Private jet company Vista Global to acquire JetSmarter, once touted as the Uber of private jets |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/10/private-jet-company-vista-global-to-acquire-jetsmarter.html |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=CNBC |language=en}}{{Cite news |date=2019-04-10 |title=Vista Global Buys an Uber For Private Jets |language=en |work=Bloomberg.com |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-10/vistajet-buys-uber-style-private-jet-booking-service-jetsmarter |access-date=2023-02-06}}{{Cite web |title=JetSmarter to be sold to billionaire's Dubai jet service |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/fl-bz-jetsmarter-sale-dubai-20190410-story.html |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=Sun Sentinel}}
Vista took controlling interest in XOJET in June 2019. With this purchase, Vista Global became the third-largest charter operator in the US.{{Cite web |last=Gollan |first=Doug |title=Vista Global Acquires Private Jet Broker Used By Bernie Sanders, Shaquille O’Neil |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/douggollan/2021/03/04/vista-global-acquires-private-jet-broker-used-by-bernie-sanders-shaquille-oneil/ |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=Forbes |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Trautvetter |first=Chad |title=VistaJet's New Parent Company To Acquire XOJet |url=https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2018-09-20/vistajets-new-parent-company-acquire-xojet |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=Aviation International News |language=en}}{{Cite web | last=Sarsfield2018-09-27T10:02:31+01:00 |first=Kate |title=Vista Global strengthens US presence with XOJET buy |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/business-aviation/vista-global-strengthens-us-presence-with-xojet-buy/129662.article |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=Flight Global |language=en}} Vista Global shortly afterward merged XOJET with JetSmarter, powered by JetSmarter technology.{{Cite web |last=Reynolds |first=Emma |date=2019-07-02 |title=Vista Global Launches New Private-Aviation Brand, XO |url=https://elitetraveler.com/tv/luxury-transport-tv/vista-global-launches-new-private-aviation-brand |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=Elite Traveler |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Blatter |first=Lucy Cohen |title=20 Minutes With: Vista Global Founder and Chairman Thomas Flohr |url=https://www.barrons.com/articles/20-minutes-with-vista-global-ceo-thomas-flohr-01580133706 |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=www.barrons.com |language=en-US}} In 2019, the combined entity was rebranded as XO.{{Cite web | last=Lattman |first=Peter |title=XOJet Gets $2.5 Billion for Expansion |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB121115569038102311 |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=WSJ |language=en-US}} In July 2021, Vista Global announced an 82% year-on-year increase in XO deposit-members.{{cite web | last=Siebenmark| first=Jerry| title=Vista Global Notes Record Growth in First-half 2021| url= https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2021-08-09/vista-global-notes-record-growth-first-half-2021| access-date=2021-08-13| website=Aviation International News| language=en}}
Fleet
XO owns and operates Bombardier Challenger 300 and Cessna Citation X jets.[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2015-03-20/the-private-jet-that-feels-like-a-fighter-jet Bloomberg, The Private Jet That Feels Like a Fighter Jet]. Retrieved March 20, 2015 Through a preferred operator partnership program, XO has access to 1,450+ private aircraft; available types include the Hawker 400XP, Hawker 800XP and Gulfstream V.{{cite web | url=http://www.sherpareport.com/aircraft/xojet-ten-years.html| title=XOJet Celebrates Ten Year Anniversary with Record Growth| website=www.sherpareport.com| access-date=2016-05-20}}
References
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{{Reflist}}
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External links
- [https://flyxo.com/ Official website]
{{Portalbar|United States|Florida|Companies|Aviation}}
{{Airlines of the United States|state=collapsed}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:XO Aviation}}
Category:Fractional aircraft ownership companies
Category:Airlines based in Florida