In the realm of business aviation, travel options include one-off charter flights, assorted leasing options, jet card memberships, fractional ownership, and owning your own eight-figure aircraft.
Dozens of private aviation companies offer some or all of these options. Some companies often jump into the business believing they have an innovative solution or can offer access for less than competitors—then they’re gone. Others that have hedge fund backing may believe that their financial strength will help them through the natural ebb and flow of business travel when the economy shifts, travel drops off, or fuel prices skyrocket. None of that matters if the experience falls short.
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Enter NICHOLAS AIR—self-made, unrivaled, and unique among a crowd of would-be competitors.
After 25 years, a video on its website still self-professes the company is the “best-kept secret.” But after catching up with founder and CEO NJ Correnti, one discovers that NICHOLAS AIR isn’t trying to be the biggest, they’re motivated by being the best—more on that later.
Correnti’s accomplished story will resonate with entrepreneurs. He started his successful business the old-fashioned way, on the ground floor with nothing but vision and tenacity. Over the course of three decades, he said he has performed every job from janitor, salesperson, maintenance coordinator, scheduler, and pilot to CEO with one thing in mind—creating a travel experience that is second to none. In fact it’s the member experience that truly sets NICHOLAS AIR apart from every other private aviation company. And it all started for him at a very young age.
Aviation can be a tough business to break into because most airports and aircraft are largely inaccessible—especially to a kid on a four-wheeler. But that is where Correnti’s story begins. Growing up in Arkansas, he literally had an airport in his backyard—Blytheville Municipal Airport (KHKA). Blytheville is one of many rural airports that, pre-9/11, was a fairly accessible place that attracted pilots, hangar flyers, planespotters, and yes, even kids on four-wheelers.
At 12, Correnti’s mother suggested that it was time to put down the video games and start thinking about his future. With an airport at the end of his street, you already know how that played out.
Correnti started bumming rides and learning how to fly before he could drive. He was so proficient that on his 16th birthday he soloed four aircraft—a Cessna 150, Cessna 172, Cessna 177RG (complex), and Cessna 340 (twin). At this point in his aviation experience, there was no inoculation for the bug that bit him, and he was on a path to creating NICHOLAS AIR as it exists today.
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Correnti started flying charters in a Cessna 340 in 1997. He later purchased his first Pilatus PC-12, and then another. The NICHOLAS AIR fleet consists of an Embraer Phenom 100 and 300, Cessna Citation CJ3+ and Latitude, Bombardier Challenger 350, and Gulfstream G600.
He said the secret to what makes the company so successful where others have failed is hiding in plain sight—the name. Correnti, as both founder and visionary, said he has built his company on his ability to do two things—and do them flawlessly time and again. It’s his name on the building and the tail of every aircraft so ultimately, he knows the buck stops with him. He’s not happy unless every customer, every flight, every interaction is worthy of a five-star review.
First, every part of the NICHOLAS AIR member experience is curated by staff, not subcontractors but employees who have a vested interest in the success of the company. There also are no shareholders or parent company to answer to at NICHOLAS AIR. Every member of the team is recruited, hired, and trained to deliver a premier private aviation experience.
Correnti points to the second key to success as vertical integration. Being able to provide the ultimate member experience is only possible by managing every part of the process to exacting standards. In addition to the pilots and crew being NICHOLAS AIR staffers, the administration, concierges, and even maintenance of the fleet is managed in-house. The desire to vertically integrate every member touchpoint even spawned the Customer Courier service, unique to NICHOLAS AIR.
At one point, the company added a Cessna Caravan to its fleet to support the growing logistics requirements for its in-house maintenance operations. Now with an asset in the fleet outfitted more for hauling bulky items than VIPs, Correnti created an innovative member service for transporting cargo for members who prefer not to entrust their priceless art or heirlooms to UPS or FedEx even if that’s moving the recent college graduate off to their first new job on the other side of the country.
At NICHOLAS AIR, taking care of the little details is what makes a big impression for members who rely on the relationship they have with the company to effortlessly and effectively manage travel. Professional athletes, celebrities, and public and private corporations alike make up the more than 1,000 strong exclusive membership.
But it’s not for everyone. Correnti believes NICHOLAS AIR membership is a two-way street. He said success at the company is also partially based on the mutual understanding that becoming a member is a partnership, and not every potential customer is a good fit as a member. Providing a world-class experience is reserved for world-class people, according to Correnti.
Some Q&A responses:
FLYING Magazine (FM): What inspired you to start NICHOLAS AIR?
NJ Correnti (NJC): Growing up in Arkansas with an airport [Blytheville Municipal Airport/KKHA] in the backyard, I enjoyed watching aircraft take off and land. I enjoyed operating things and wanted to pursue it, so I started taking lessons. I never wanted to go into the airlines or military. I always wanted to own my own company and thought this aviation stuff is fun, so why not start with that?
FM: What’s the secret to your success and longevity over 25 years when so many companies haven’t thrived?
NJC: There’s a secret sauce, but it’s really the people. That’s what it comes down to.
FM: What was the first aircraft you purchased?
NJC: A 1978 Cessna 340. I would dry lease the airplane out while I was in high school in Charlotte, North Carolina, to this healthcare company. They would contract my instructor to come and fly it. That’s kind of how the business really started—obviously on a really small scale then.
FM: You’re involved with Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart through the NCAA NIL (Name Image and Likeness) program? How did that unfold?
NJC: Ole Miss is right in our backyard. I’m good friends with [Mississippi football coach] Lane [Kiffin], and I met Jaxson when he was recruiting him. I’ve liked Jaxson from day one. He’s a very respectful young man and certainly aligned with our brand and how we’d like to be represented. We did this NIL deal and it exploded—it went viral. Overall it was perceived well by everyone.
FM: Are you using predictive AI to support your fleet?
NJC: Not yet. Our chief technology officer has cautiously been evaluating the use of AI for maintenance. We have trust issues with AI at this point. On the maintenance side, I think there’s too many complexities with that. There’s no predictability, to be honest with you. You can have a component that you think is going to wear out every 500 hours, and it ends up lasting 2,000 hours. Or maybe you get a brand-new one off the shelf and it lasts 50 hours. There’s just no predictability with the maintenance side of it right now.
This feature first appeared in the May Issue 958 of the FLYING print edition.
