A Gulfstream business jet operated by Flight Services Group

The operations center of fractional-share provider Flight Options

Gainey Corporation CEO Harvey N. Gainey, II working in flight

In the past, many business people believed that corporate aircraft were a luxury they could not afford. However, during the last recession, when right-sized middle management was stretched even thinner, many of these corporate survivors discovered that traveling by business aircraft dramatically reduced their travel time, freeing them to perform the additional tasks thrust upon them and making their time en route more productive.

Today, a growing number of lower-cost alternatives to traditional aircraft ownership have expanded the market for business aviation, creating converts among those who thought that airlines were the only way to fly. Most of these options are not new, but they are growing in popularity as aviation service organizations have responded to the demand for just-in-time transportation by developing new ways to make on-demand travel more affordable.