The number of business executives chartering jets — for both business and pleasure — has grown by about 10 percent a year for each of the past two years, say officials of KaiserAir, Inc., one of the oldest business jet management companies in the world.

KaiserAir handled about 150 charters last year, said Sandy Waters, vice president, business development, of the firm that is based at Oakland International Airport’s North Field.

“We are seeing a growing recognition of the value of time,” said Waters.  “Because today’s executives place such a high value on their time, we also are seeing an increase in the number of charters for pleasure as well as for business trips.” Chartered flight means that an executive can travel on his or her own schedule, without worrying about possibly cutting a meeting short to make the last plane of the day or spending time waiting at airport check-in counters or baggage claims. In addition, because of the large number of airports that handle smaller planes, a charter usually takes a business executive much closer to his final destination than a commercial flight.

“Having your own aircraft also virtually eliminates the expense of unscheduled hotel stays,” Waters added.  “When you add in these factors, a chartered jet often becomes the most economical way to travel.”

KaiserAir operates a charter fleet of five jets, ranging from Citations to Gulfstreams. 

It also manages 14 business jets owned by San Francisco Bay Area corporations and operates an Executive Terminal for the use of private planes at Oakland International Airport’s North Field.  Thirty-three of Fortune Magazine’s Top 50 corporations make KaiserAir’s Executive Terminal the base for their aircraft when they conduct business in the Bay Area.

The Executive Terminal, which operates 24 hours a day seven days a week, offers fuel and maintenance service.  In addition, there is a business center with a conference room, fax machine and modem access, and a concierge to take care of needs ranging from limousines to gourmet catering and hotel reservations.

KaiserAir, Inc. dates back to 1946 when it began as the flight department for the Kaiser companies founded by the late industrialist Henry J. Kaiser.  Passengers have included former U.S. presidents and European royalty, and the Oakland facility is a refueling stop for Air Force One.

The organization initially was based in Willow Run, Mich., where Henry J. Kaiser maintained a DC-3 for his auto factory outside Detroit. The operation moved in 1954 to Oakland.

In 1974 Southern Pacific became the first corporation outside the Kaiser companies to become a client of KaiserAir, which provided management, pilots and maintenance service.  Gradually, KaiserAir added more corporate clients, and in 1980 the Kaiser flight department management purchased the operation from Kaiser Steel.  The organization has been in continuous operation since its founding in 1946, and the current management has been in place for more than 35 years.

KaiserAir currently has a staff of 120, including 32 pilots and 30 persons in the maintenance department. Its senior captains typically have 18 years of experience, with 12,000 to 18,000 hours of flight time.

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