Page 12 - January 2022

In addition to more work with Surf Air (a relationship since 2018) and Taos Air (since 2019), Advanced Air began bidding on EAS contracts. Their first win was Silver City, New Mexico, and they recently announced a second EAS contract for Merced in Northern California. The operations started Jan. 1 with 24 weekly roundtrip flights to LAX and 12 weekly roundtrip flights to Las Vegas.
“You look at different operators in the Essential Air Service world and for the most part they are using Cessna Caravans, Pilatus or in some cases regional size jets. We knew the King Air very well and felt this was a great opportunity to enter the EAS market with the King Air 350,” Stockton said. “It’s been three years now that we’ve had the Silver City contract and we do it solely with the King Air 350, flying from Silver City to Albuquerque and Phoenix. Our reliability has been 98%, so the King Air 350 has proven to be a great asset on these routes.”
In total, Advanced Air provides semi-private scheduled service in 12 regions – Arizona: Phoenix/PHX; California: Los Angeles Hawthorne/HHR, Mammoth/MMH, Carlsbad/ CLD, Burbank/BUR, Merced/MCE, Thermal (Palm Springs)/TRM; New Mexico: Silver City/SVC, Albuquerque/ ABQ, Taos/SKX; Texas: Austin/AUS, Dallas/DAL.
Advanced Air participates in the FAA’s Aviation Safety Action Program, employs a modern safety management
system and operates all flights with two pilots who have had full crew resource management training.
Passengers flying on an Advanced Air managed aircraft get the same experience whether they are a charter customer or flying a semi-private scheduled flight, “which has brought a high-end product to Essential Air Service,” Stockton said.
For Advanced Air, the majority of the King Air 350’s operating ring is from LA over to Denver, then up to Vancouver and down to Cabo San Lucas.
“That half-circle is all nonstop in the 350 so it covers a huge area on the West Coast,” Stockton said. “There are a lot of mountainous areas, especially going into ski destinations, and a lot of people like a twin-engine for that. The King Air checks so many boxes, from going into short runways to having proven reliability. It will take eight people and all their luggage and gear pretty much anywhere you want to go in that half-circle.”
King Air aircraft in the fleet all have wing lockers, renewed interiors including center aisles outfitted with a dark, durable material, and updated paint, including a dark color behind the nacelle to help minimize the visibility of exhaust streaks.
Advanced Air is in the process of purchasing a third company-owned King Air 350 (they still own the original King Air 350 that launched the company and Stockton ›
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10 • KING AIR MAGAZINE
JANUARY 2022