Interisland time-share
air service seeks travelers
Maui-based helicopter company Aris Inc. plans to launch an airplane time-share program it hopes will attract travelers who are looking for faster and more convenient interisland air service.
Aris Inc., which runs Air Maui Helicopters, formed a separate company called Air Partners Hawaii for the venture. It plans to charge $33,000 each to 10 buyers for an ownership share in its first Aero Commander 500 twin engine executive aircraft.
While similar services have been offered on the mainland for years, there are no others available in Hawaii, said Steve Egger, president of Aris.
"The concept of fractional ownerships or partnerships has been around for a long while," Egger said.
The aircraft was picked for its suitability to short interisland hops.
"We wanted a twin engine, fairly fast and we wanted it to be what we call cabin class. It can hold four people in club seating in the back in a separate compartment," he said.
While Greg Kahlstorf, president of Maui-based Pacific Wings, does not discount the idea of a plane time-share program, he wonders if there will be enough interest for such a service in Hawaii.
"It's definitely a niche product and you can buy a lot of round trips on Pacific Wings, Aloha and Hawaiian for $33,000. But having said that, there is a niche market for every product. It just a matter of how creatively you can market it.
"It also boils down to how those who are buying it plan to use it and how you balance demand during peak periods," Kahlstorf said.
Apart from the $33,000 initial ownership stake, there is a monthly management fee of $2,000, which covers crew and fixed costs. And $350 is charged per occupied flight hour, which covers aircraft expenses including fuel, maintenance, overhauls and cleaning.
Eggers said he has had some inquiries, mostly from those who do business on several islands. With cutbacks in neighbor island flights, he said, interisland travel can be especially difficult for people who need to visit multiple islands in a single day.
"Going from Maui to the Big Island and Kauai is an all-day affair now," he said.
If he gets enough interest, Eggers said he would like to have aircraft based on all islands. "Eventually we'd like to see at least five aircraft with a couple on Oahu at least," he said.
Air Partners Hawaii will begin sales Monday for the initial Maui-based aircraft.