“Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”~Leonardo da Vinci
Kevin Malutinok has spent his life around airplanes. The airplane pilot and mechanic just can’t get enough of those powerful propeller-and-turbine-driven machines defined by the forces of lift, weight, thrust and drag.
“I just love being around the airplanes.”
Kevin has opened, operated and been recruited by some of the largest aircraft management companies and manufacturers in the world. And decades of flying, fixing, studying and selling airplanes have culminated in the reality of his vision of an all-encompassing aircraft management facility, Strategic Air Services (SAS).
In 2020, as founder and president of SAS, Kevin along with Steven Tilley, a former speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives and government affairs and consulting specialist, opened a completely private jet hangar complex they claim is unlike any other globally.
Located at the Spirit of St. Louis Airport in Chesterfield, SAS offers its members and their guests an unparalleled experience with world-class design, amenities and top-notch security.
The SAS hangar sits on approximately 11 acres and offers immediate access to both an 8,000-foot runway and a 5,000-foot runway. Its gated 88,000-plus-square-foot complex includes two hangars with more than 65,000 square feet of secured hangar space and 26,000 square feet of office space, conference rooms, a lobby and a gym. Security is state of the art with limited access to members, crews and their guests.
“We are not a charter company,” Kevin says. “We offer a turnkey solution for all of your aircraft needs that's personalized around you, for you. We’re a very personal business. The best part of my job is being able to see the success of business people and their families, and them having a much easier life. They pull right up to their planes. They will have maybe three meetings and be back in a day without the hassle of the TSA, airport delays, cancellations, etc. And we will have their cars cleaned and waiting for them. We also have a relationship with the pilots. It’s a personal relationship. When you trust everyone, there are no questions about who is flying them, how they were trained or anything.”
Though Kevin and Steven opened SAS during one of the worst pandemics in modern history, Kevin says the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus actually served to boost their business. “COVID was the best thing that ever happened to the private aviation industry,” Kevin says. “No one wants to fly commercial airlines anymore. It has grown all of my companies. Since COVID and the first quarter of 2020, on the aircraft sales side, 85 percent of sales have been to first-time airplane owners.”
Kevin states a common misconception of airplane ownership is that a person has to be rich to own one. “A lot of people think you have to be a multimillionaire to own an airplane. You really don’t. You can partner with someone to own an airplane,” he says, adding that tax benefits are appealing, as laws have changed on when and how much an individual or business can claim depreciation.
Some of the services SAS offers include:
· Aircraft Maintenance:
Private jet management and the intricate operations of aircraft management, allowing clients to enjoy all the benefits of ownership without the stress of handling complex day-to-day operations.
· Hangar Storage:
Storing clients’ private jets at SAS’s state of the art facility.
· Office Space:
Conference rooms in various sizes, including one with state of the art audio and visual technology. The leasable office space is also available for aircraft owners upon request.
· Concierge
The SAS team efficiently coordinates client travel down to every detail to create a seamless travel experience.
· Maintenance
Experienced maintenance team completes any and all service needs to ensure safety and efficiency.
· Cleaning
In addition to the cleaning services performed on each managed aircraft, the SAS team provides car cleanings for all aircraft owners while away on travel.
· Line Service
The SAS team caters to clients’ passengers and crews by coordinating fueling, towing and all cabin needs.
Kevin also offers expert aircraft sales and consulting in the private jet marketplace through Magna Air Group. The company represents individuals as well as corporations in business aviation through aircraft management, brokerage and consulting.
Drawing on more than 125 years of business aviation refurbishment experience, Kevin and Steven say they offer practical, usable and impeccable aircraft interior solutions with ICON Aviation Solutions. Their services include full-range in-house engineering services, cabin engineering, cabinetry fabrication and finish, seating upholstery, sheet metal fabrication and machined parts.
