“For those who haven’t experienced flying privately, it’s just as fun as you imagine it to be,” says Chad Verdaglio, owner and president of Sawyer Aviation.
One way to skip the lines and hassles of commercial flying is to take to the friendly skies by flying privately through Sawyer Aviation, a private jet charter company headquartered at Scottsdale Airport. Originally Sawyer School of Aviation in 1961, it has since grown into an aviation company with operations in private charter travel, aircraft management, sales and acquisitions, and cutting-edge innovations in emergency medical transport.
Sawyer Aviation’s private charter flights go to over 5,000 airports across North America and the Caribbean, with a focus on making the flight experience as enjoyable and smooth as possible.
“When customers fly private, it’s all about convenience and comfort,” Verdaglio says. “They can drive up to the jet, have their luggage loaded and their cars valeted, and leave at the exact time they’ve requested, flying straight to their intended destination.”
To fly charter, the process is very similar to booking commercial flights—future passengers go on the website and book a one-way ticket or enter in the details and get a quote for the trip. Verdaglio shares that while charter flights are more expensive than commercial airplane traveling (he estimates the cost is about two to three times a full fair ticket per person), it is still a value because of the convenience.
“With the personalized service, the capability to have the airplane to yourself and those closest to you, and the ability to go where you want, when you want, the extra expense is worth it to many,” he says.
He adds that the expected clientele for private air travel is changing.
“We have clients across the board that fly privately with us, and the interest in flying private charter is definitely accelerating,” he says. “It’s great for businesses, but it’s also convenient for families with kids.
“Flying privately is no longer a bucket list item,” he continues. “The value exceeds the cost.”
In addition to offering private charter flights, Sawyer Aviation continues to be a flight school, with more than 6,000 graduates to date. In the two decades that Verdaglio has been at the company, it has added multiple offerings, including SawyerMX, which does 24/7 airplane maintenance services. Most recently, Sawyer Aviation added an additional 50,000 square feet of hangar and office space.
“The added space is used for plane maintenance and management, but more than that, it allows for more offices for our employees, more room to host events, and the ability to offer our clients more hangar space,” Verdaglio explains.
More than the private charter flights that go most anywhere at the click of a button, Verdaglio, who purchased Sawyer Aviation in 2002, says that its employees make the company stand out.
“We recently were honored with a spot on the Inc. 5000 list in recognition of our work, and it’s all because of our dedicated team and loyal clients,” he shares. “Looking to the future, we hope to continue to add aircraft and amazing people to our team.”
Added to its dedication to its team, Sawyer Aviation gives back to the community regularly, often hosting charitable events at its hangars for some of the Valley’s top nonprofits.
At the end of the trip though, Verdaglio says it all comes down to the passengers.
“For those who haven’t flown private yet, you should give it a try, you may never want to fly commercial again,” he says. “Plus, we have better snacks.”