Point2Point Growing Exponentially

0

A North Dakota air taxi operator that uses Cirrus SR22 aircraft has doubled its business in each of the last two quarters. In an update to city of Bismarck officials, principal John Boehle says he expects to have 100 airplanes (not necessarily all Cirruses) and 134 pilots by 2010. The company started last January and flew about 30,000 miles in the first three months, Boehle told the civic officials (who fronted $1.25 million in public funds for the startup). Business almost doubled to 54,000 miles in the second quarter and it doubled again in the third quarter to 112,000 miles. A 600-mile round-trip flight costs about $500 per seat, according to a report in the Bismarck Tribune. Although Point2Point was conceived as an alternative to the hub-and-spoke airline arrangement, its being asked to consider jumping into that business with scheduled service to Minneapolis. Theres a lot of traffic between Minneapolis and North Dakotas three major cities (Bismarck, Fargo and Grand Forks) and Boehle said he has a plane stationed in Minneapolis, where it gets a lot of work. Meanwhile Boehle said hes concentrating on raising capital to buy new airplanes (Diamond DA-42 TwinStars and Cessna Caravans are possibilities) and on working out an Internet-based reservation and ride-sharing system.

LEAVE A REPLY