Tradewind Aviation

Last updated
Tradewind Aviation
Tradewind Aviation Logo.svg
IATA ICAO Call sign
TJGPDGOODSPEED
Founded2001
AOC # TWYA123K [1]
Hubs
Secondary hubs
Fleet size29
Destinations14
Headquarters Oxford, Connecticut
Key people
  • Eric Zipkin (CEO)
  • David Zipkin (CCO)
Employees~300
Website www.flytradewind.com

Tradewind Aviation, LLC, doing business as Tradewind Aviation and Tradewind Shuttle, is an American airline headquartered at the Waterbury-Oxford Airport in Oxford, Connecticut, [2] United States. Tradewind Aviation provides private and scheduled service in the Northeast, Southeast, and the Caribbean, as well as aircraft management services. The air charter company is best known for its Westchester to Nantucket summer ticket books, and its Puerto Rico to St. Barths scheduled service.

Contents

History

Founded in 2001, Tradewind Aviation commenced operations utilizing a single Cessna Caravan. Brothers Eric and David Zipkin, both pilots and aviation enthusiasts, recognized a gap in service on shorter flights, initially on the Cape and Islands, and began operations in 2002. Charter service expanded throughout America and the Caribbean, with authorization for scheduled flights coming in 2005 and eventually expanding to 11 destinations. Each domestic Tradewind scheduled service flight within the United States departs and arrives at an FBO.

Caribbean network flights operate from normal terminals. Tradewind offers premium service at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan with a semi-private lounge area while customers await their trips to the high-end Caribbean destinations served by Tradewind. Tradewind operates year-round service to Gustaf III Airport in St. Barthelemy, providing the only year-round, nonstop scheduled service between this ultra-luxe French territory and the United States, which it has operated since 2006.

In June 2019, Tradewind launched a jet card, called "Goodspeed." The program offers fixed, one-way rates on its PC-12 fleet in three service areas, 300 nautical miles from Westchester County Airport in New York, Palm Beach International Airport in Florida, and San Juan Luis Muñoz Marín Airport in the Caribbean. Jet cards are offered in 10, 25 and 40-hour denominations. [3]

In March 2022, Tradewind marked a major fleet renewal and expansion program with the purchase of 20 new Pilatus PC-12 NGX aircraft in a deal valued at over $100 million, with deliveries proceeding at 3-4 per year through 2027. The program cemented Tradewind's status as the operator of one of the world's largest fleets of Pilatus PC-12s, and the largest available for charter.

In October 2022, Tradewind opened a new base at Hudson Valley Regional Airport near Poughkeepsie, New York for in-house and open-market hangar space.

In September 2023, Tradewind opened a new hub in Stuart, Florida at Witham Field, serving the burgeoning Southeast market.

In June 2024, Tradewind announced plans to offer scheduled service from Palm Beach to Marsh Harbour and North Eleuthera in the Abacos, Bahamas, beginning in December 2024.

Since 2021, Tradewind has ranked in Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards as one of America's best airlines, and has been voted 5th, 4th, and 3rd best.

Condé Nast Readers' Choice Awards - Top US Airline
YearRank
20215th [4]
20224th [5]
20233rd [6]
20244th [7]

Today, Tradewind is the second-largest operator of the Pilatus PC-12 in the U.S., and the world's largest operator of PC-12s for charter.

Destinations

Tradewind Aviation Scheduled Destinations
CountryState/TerritoryDestination
Antigua and Barbuda Antigua
Bahamas Marsh Harbour
North Eleuthera
France Saint Barthélemy Saint-Jean
United States Massachusetts Martha's Vineyard
Nantucket
New Jersey Teterboro
New York White Plains
Florida Palm Beach
Puerto Rico San Juan
U.S. Virgin Islands St. Thomas
United Kingdom Anguilla Anguilla
British Virgin Islands Virgin Gorda
Tortola

Fleet

One of Tradewind Aviation's Pilatus PC-12s in St. Barths COS131108 StBarths 0467 (1).JPG
One of Tradewind Aviation's Pilatus PC-12s in St. Barths

As of January 2025, Tradewind's fleet consists of the following aircraft:

Tradewind Aviation fleet
AircraftIn fleetOrders
Pilatus PC-12/45 40
Pilatus PC-12/47 10
Pilatus PC-12 NG 110
Pilatus PC-12 NGX 1312
Total2912
Tradewind Aviation historic fleet
AircraftIntroducedRetired
Cessna 208B Grand Caravan 20012013
Cessna Citation CJ3 20072024

See also

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References

  1. "Airline Certificate Information - Detail View". U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  2. DEWAN, SHAILA (February 4, 2010). "Volunteers Fly Supplies Into Hard-to-Reach Areas". New York Times. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  3. "TRADEWIND AVIATION OPENS AIRCRAFT BASE NEAR PALM BEACH, FL". 15 September 2023. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  4. "Top 5 Airlines in the U.S.: Readers' Choice Awards 2021 | Condé Nast Traveler". web.archive.org. 2021-10-06. Retrieved 2025-01-12.
  5. "Top 10 Airlines in the U.S.: Readers' Choice Awards 2022 | Condé Nast Traveler". web.archive.org. 2022-11-02. Retrieved 2025-01-12.
  6. "Top 10 Airlines in the U.S.: Readers' Choice Awards 2023 | Condé Nast Traveler". web.archive.org. 2023-10-04. Retrieved 2025-01-12.
  7. "Top 10 Airlines in the U.S.: Readers' Choice Awards 2024 | Condé Nast Traveler". web.archive.org. 2024-10-08. Retrieved 2025-01-12.