Linear Air, an air-taxi company based at Hanscom Field, just outside Boston, Mass., is expanding into the Caribbean, and moving forward with its plans to be among the leaders in the very light jet (VLJ) air-taxi market…although so far, it has been operating without any VLJs. While waiting for its first Eclipse jet, now expected in April, the company has been flying Cessna Grand Caravans with luxury interiors. This week, the company announced it has been certified by the French government to offer charter service to the French West Indies, including the island of St. Bart’s. The company also has attracted new investors with $2.5 million in funding, for a total of $6 million to fuel its VLJ plans. Linear Air currently provides on-demand charter service to more than 500 cities in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic U.S., eastern Canada and the Caribbean. On summer weekends, the company offers per-seat scheduled charter service to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket from the Teterboro Airport outside New York City. The Eclipse jet will allow Linear Air to expand its existing propjet service to smaller markets within point-to-point 500-mile regional networks around major metropolitan areas, the company said.
