A multi-engine, instrument rated pilot, James Wynbrandt has been an AIN and Business Jet Traveler contributor since 2003. His in-depth reporting and insightful features have won more than a dozen editorial honors, including two National Business Aviation Association Gold Wing Awards (2019; 2021), and his articles have also appeared in the New York Times, Barron’s, Fortune, Forbes, and Smithsonian Air &amp; Space. He has flown his Mooney M20K 252 on assignments throughout North and Central America and the Caribbean. Wynbrandt is also the author of Flying High (Wiley &amp; Sons), a biography of Jet Blue founder David Neeleman, as well as histories, references works, and books on a variety of other topics from major publishers. He lives in New York City.

Contributor - Business Aviation

James Wynbrandt

Today the perennial either/or question of the best way to manage and operate business aircraft is colored by the growing complexity of operations, demands for more accountability and transparency, and new support options available to owners regardless of their management structure. Yet whether to use a management company or operate through a company flight department remains often as much a cultural decision as a logical one. Conklin &amp; de Decker has no data on any operational cost differential between the two, and David Wyndham, president and co-owner of the consultancy, said he’s seen no evidence of a shift in either direction. For every case of a company electing to put its flight department under a management company, another opts to manage its own. But the shifts are occurring. Here are some of the factors driving the activity, and their effects on those seeking to find or offer the best management arrangement.

News and issues concerning the aviation charter and fractional-ownership industries and markets, including company announcements, regulations, new developments and labor issues.

Management Company or Flight Department?

Owners weigh options. Control, costs and complexity among the issues.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Charles Alcock

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

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News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

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