New Charter Jet Service

Since this has been the worst year for commercial travel since 1996 in terms of delays, and airport security has been increasingly frustrating to deal with, charter jet services are on the rise.

Virgin Group, which owns a commerical airline in Britain and a new one coming to the US, is currently launching an online service, Virgin Charter, to help reserve, review, and rate charter jets, as well as view safety audits of the plane and pilot.

Because corporate jets fly empty so often, the service plans to connect empty flights with moderately wealthy fliers, who may not otherwise have the cash to rent a plane, at a discounted price. Virgin Group’s owner, Richard Branson, called the current practice “incredibly inefficient.”

The Virgin Group is also working with Boeing to begin using biofuels on planes. It also is planning on using ultra-light planes, such as Textron Inc.’s Cessna Citation Mustang, to decrease carbon emissions.