The world is a vastly different place than it was just two decades ago, and travel has changed tremendously, too. As Tradewind Aviation celebrates its 20th anniversary as the market leader in regional air mobility, it’s good to look back at where we have taken private aviation – and likewise, where the private aviation industry has taken us – as we continue to innovate with new routes and improve upon the passenger experience.
My brother David and I co-founded Tradewind in 2001 on the principle that every flight deserves the highest quality aircraft, crew, and service. Both of us were already highly trained pilots as well as passionate entrepreneurs when we launched Tradewind. Based on our collective experience in the cockpit and my own time spent as a “propeller head” working in sales for a mom-and-pop air charter company, we knew there was much we could improve upon.
A Legacy Of Prime Luxury Charters Begins
In 2002, Tradewind introduced one of the first shared charter concepts in the industry, with a lone Cessna Grand Caravan flying scheduled shuttle service on a single route between private terminals at Westchester Country Airport in White Plains, New York, and Nantucket Memorial Airport off the coast of mainland Massachusetts. Two years later, with growing demand from weekend commuters traveling to their vacation homes, Tradewind began operating its first Pilatus PC-12, the most advanced and capable eight-passenger turboprop in the skies.
Dialing forward, Tradewind’s scheduled shuttle routes throughout the Northeast have since expanded to include service from New York to Martha’s Vineyard as well as Stowe, Vermont, and we just added Newport to our schedule in July. Our shuttle flights to Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard currently represent approximately 80 percent of the market. This makes Tradewind the single largest operator of non-commercial shared charter flights in the region.
Our fleet has grown, too. Tradewind now operates over 20 premium aircraft. That includes 18 Pilatus PC-12s — the largest fleet of its kind dedicated to private charter service in North America – and three Citation CJ3 Jets, widely recognized as the best-in-class light jets for medium-range private charter flights. But wait, there’s more. We’re expecting delivery of two new Pilatus PC-12 NG aircraft later this fall. We’re also monitoring the electric vehicle market closely. Our routes and infrastructure are poised for the first viable electric aircraft.
New Horizons
 In 2006, we began operations in San Juan, Puerto Rico to provide seamless private prime luxury charters throughout the Caribbean and new scheduled flights to St. Barth. Since then, Tradewind has become the leading aviation company for the island. Our scheduled and private charter flights carry over 60 percent of St. Barth’s five-star property and luxury villa clientele. We also carry a series of fully private travel experiences with the island’s leading luxury hotels and resorts for ensuring safe, secure, and stress-free travel.
Our destinations throughout the Caribbean have continued to grow, with scheduled shuttle flights now available to Antigua and St. Thomas, and our popular Anguilla shuttle service set to return this December. In 2017, Tradewind entered interline partnerships with British Airways and United, and in 2019 with American Airlines. These partnerships offer expanded conveniences including single ticket purchase and baggage transfers to destinations in the region.
Prime Luxury Charters Reimagined
Looking back to 2018, Tradewind launched the Goodspeed Card, the first jet-card loyalty program based around the Pilatus PC-12. Then, in 2020, with health, safety, and the environment on the top of our minds, we launched a Carbon Offset program that offers clients the opportunity to offset the carbon emissions of their flight activity, and also introduced a Private Shuttle concept that enables passengers to book an entire scheduled flight for the exclusive use of their own party. Tradewind has seen an 86 percent increase in purchased Goodspeed Card hours in comparison to pre-pandemic travel. This growth was driven by the safety benefits of flying private combined with a steep increase in new charter clients.
Thinking about getting a Goodspeed Card? Members save up to 18% on private charter with a Goodspeed card versus one-off trips, and up to 40% when compared to similar charter card programs. Members also save on average 3-6 hours of travel time compared to flying commercial.
The Tradewind Promise
Of course, David and I couldn’t have accomplished all of the above on our own. Over the past 20 years, the Tradewind team has expanded from 5 employees to a super-sharp team of 148, and the company has transported 500,000 passengers across North America and the Caribbean, with a 90 percent yield in returning customers.
Our early clientele was mostly weekend commuters heading to vacation homes. However, our customer base has expanded to include various new markets. We now cater to business travel, special occasions, sporting events, Caribbean vacations, and destination weddings. Today, business is basically a 50/50 split between scheduled shuttle and private prime luxury charters. We’ve seen a 30 percent increase in new private charter clients since the beginning of this year. More people are discovering the benefits of flying private charter, and Tradewind, for the first time.
Through it all, and of upmost importance, Tradewind has maintained an enviable safety record with no accidents or incidents in 20 years, as reflected by our membership in the aviation risk and assessment company, WYVERN, Ltd. Additionally, our ARGUS Charter Operator Rating demonstrates our adherence to an internationally recognized standard of the highest level of quality in aviation.
The Sky Is The Limit
So where to next? The skies the limit, of course – though, don’t tell that to the billionaire brushing the edge of space. From the start, we have been a part of the private aviation industry’s transformation from a luxury to a utility. We will continue to evolve as our market grows.
In the meantime, it’s exciting to look back at our two decades of innovation in the private aviation sector. To this day we have maintained our founding commitment. We provide travelers with an efficient and cost-effective way to access anywhere in North America and the Caribbean. Not bad for a small family-owned business.