Eclipse Statement On DayJet

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Eclipse Aviation responded Saturday to an announcement that its largest customer, startup on-demand air taxi hopeful DayJet, ceased all commercial operations as of Friday. In keeping with its recent public relations trend, Eclipse’s release on the subject concluded with the statement, “Eclipse will not be releasing any further information or conducting interviews surrounding this media alert.” In its release, Eclipse did not address allegations by DayJet that its demise was partly the “result of Eclipse Aviation’s failure to install missing equipment or functionality or repair agreed technical discrepancies in accordance with the terms of DayJet’s aircraft purchase contract.” Eclipse did not respond to AVweb’s email request for comment on that allegation.

Eclipse did say in its release that it still has hundreds of orders to fill and DayJet’s failure will provide upward mobility for those position holders who’d previously been further down the line. Eclipse said of DayJet, the company “was able to fulfill the demonstrated growing demand for this new market,” but was “unable to raise the capital it required to continue its operations.” In 2007 DayJet said it had firm orders for 239 Eclipse 500s and options for 70 more. Financial arrangements between DayJet and Eclipse were never very clear. Both companies have made reference to the current state of the U.S. capital markets as an unfortunate and very negative force in the DayJet equation.In 2007, DayJet announced its plans to start air service with Eclipse 500’s by the end of June of that year. By May of 2008, DayJet had cut its fleet by more than half, cut its staff by more than one third and was seeking $50 million in funding. Friday, September 19, DayJet announced it had suspended commercial operations.

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