Planet Nine In It for the Long Haul

Air charter startup Planet Nine secured its FAA Part 135 operating certificate recently and is making its first Dassault Falcon 7X available for charter. It intends to have four 7Xs in its fleet by year-end, each featuring refurbished cabins with Gogo/SwiftBroadband Wi-Fi and in-flight entertainment systems. Wi-Fi is complimentary on all domestic charters in the U.S.

Headquartered in Los Angeles and London with a staff of 28 employees, Planet Nine will be a “competitive offering in the premium end of the ultra-long-range charter market,” said cofounders Matt Walter and James Seagrim. Notably, Bill Wulf, NetJets’ former senior vice president and CFO, serves as Planet Nine's CFO.

According to Planet Nine, which is working with charter brokers, its 11-passenger, 5,950-nautical-mile Falcon 7X has operating costs at least 30 percent lower than those of the “equivalent” Gulfstream G550 and Bombardier Global 6000, giving the operator a “distinct advantage” over its competition.