NAFA member, David G. Mayer, Partner at Shackelford, Bowen, McKinley & Norton, LLP, shares his recent blog that lays out key elements of aircraft use policies and who participates in administering the policies. It also suggests that, in the hot job market, companies should consider extending the use the company jet to up-and coming-executives below the C-suite level to recognize their value to, and allow them to feel valued by, the business enterprise.
As companies increasingly lift restrictions on travel via business aircraft amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the time seems right to reconsider aircraft use policies and plan for the future reliance on business aviation.
Proven by extensive research, business aviation in general and the use of business aircraft by companies in particular support the success of many business enterprises. Business aircraft are time machines. They consistently save travel time over airline travel and access many more airports than airlines serve. Companies typically acquire private aircraft to foster personal engagement, an objective that electronic media like Zoom will never replicate.
Companies also realize that business aircraft can provide their personnel with a healthy and safe environment—a huge concern during the pandemic. From small cabin to ultra-long-range aircraft, each aircraft should also offer travelers personal security, connectivity, and privacy in a comfortable place that fosters efficiency and productivity.
In writing an aircraft use policy, a company can expect to balance the perceived benefits of using business aircraft with the company’s associated business, cultural, legal, and financial circumstances.
This article was originally published by AINsight on January 14, 2022.
