By Daniel Morley
New Charter Operator Agrees to Atlantic City Base
The Atlantic City airport authority and a start-up charter operator have reached an agreement to make Atlantic City a base of operation for the airline. Global Crossing Airlines is attempting to gain FAA certification to begin operations as a charter operator. The airline, based in Miami, will look to operate scheduled charter flights from Canada and across the United States to the city. The deal with the city will also include land to construct a maintenance hangar for the airline.
The deal with the airport is tentative while the airline gains certification and aircraft to begin operations. The airline is currently seeking Part 121 certification from the FAA according to the airlines’ website. Executives with the company have identified operating from Toronto and Montreal and “cities in the United States.” to Atlantic City, to support the tourism industry. The airline plans to start operations in the Summer of 2021.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has caused travel demand to plummet, tourism travel is expected to rebound faster and stronger than business travel. In addition, the airline is planning to use the downturn in travel to help launch the airline. Executives are planning to utilize Airbus A320 aircraft that are currently in storage due to the pandemic. They also plan to hire pilots and cabin crews that have been laid off due to the downturn.
The deal between the Atlantic City airport authority and Global Crossing is for the airline to use Atlantic City and lease space in the future. It is tentative on the airline gaining certification and beginning operations. In the future, the agreement between the two could see Global Crossing leasing 53,000 square feet of airport land to build a 24,000 square feet maintenance hangar. If constructed the hangar would create 75 full-time maintenance jobs in the area.
Global Crossing is headquartered on the grounds of Miami International Airport, and already has a strong executive team to build on. The airline is lead by CEO Ed Wegel, who most recently founded and lead the latest incarnation of Eastern Air Lines before it was sold to Swift Air. The airline already has 119 employees including a Director of Operations, Director of Safety, and Chief Pilot, all of whom have years of experience in the aviation industry. The group is also attempting to launch a startup in Canada, Jetlines Canada, to operate as an ultra-low-cost carrier between Canada and warm-weather destinations.
Daniel has always had aviation in his life; from moving to the United States when he was two, to family vacations across the U.S., and back to his native England. He currently resides in South Florida and attends Nova Southeastern University, studying Human Factors in Aviation. Daniel has his Commercial Certificate for both land and sea, and hopes to one day join the major airlines.
