What Nicholas Air is
Nicholas Air is a boutique private aviation company founded in 1997 by aviation veteran Nicholas Correnti and headquartered in Oxford, Mississippi. It owns and operates its own fleet — no third-party aircraft are sourced — and holds an ARGUS Platinum safety rating.
With approximately 1,500 jet card customers, Nicholas Air is significantly smaller than NetJets or Flexjet. What it lacks in scale it compensates for in fee structure — it is one of the very few programs in the market that charges no peak-day surcharges, no repositioning fees, and never expires hours. Combine that with an owned fleet and ARGUS Platinum certification, and the value proposition becomes clear for the right buyer.
Nicholas Air also accepts cryptocurrency payments (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin) — a genuine differentiator for buyers who hold digital assets, and one that no major competitor currently matches.
A buyer flying 30 hours per year with 6 of those hours on peak days (typical for holiday-heavy flyers) on a midsize jet at $6,500/hr, with a 25% peak surcharge on competing programs, pays an additional $9,750 per year in peak fees that simply don't exist on Nicholas Air. Over a 5-year flying life, that's $48,750 in avoidable cost — on top of any repositioning fees also eliminated.
Programs available
| Program | Structure | Best for | Key feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Card | Hours-based deposit. Aircraft-specific. Upgrades/downgrades at interchange fee. | Buyers flying one primary cabin size | Aircraft-specific rate certainty |
| Rise Card | Dollar-based deposit. Full fleet access at published rates. Flexible cabin choice per trip. | Buyers who vary cabin by trip type | Upgrade/downgrade on every booking |
| Steel Card | Gulfstream G600-specific jet card. Large cabin. | Large-cabin buyers, 10–40 hrs/yr | G600 access at lower entry than whole ownership |
| Jet Share (Fractional) | Fractional ownership. 90–300 hrs/yr. Aircraft-specific share. | Frequent domestic flyers 90+ hrs/yr | Ownership benefits without management complexity |
| Jet Lease | Monthly payment programme. No large upfront capital requirement. | 100+ hrs/yr buyers preferring spread payments | Access without large initial outlay |
Fleet overview
Nicholas Air operates one of the youngest private aviation fleets in the industry — a deliberate operational choice that reduces mechanical interruptions and delivers modern cabin standards throughout the program. The fleet spans turboprop through large cabin:
| Aircraft | Category | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Pilatus PC-12 | Turboprop | Up to 1,800nm |
| Embraer Phenom 100 | Very light jet | Up to 1,178nm |
| Cessna Citation CJ3+ | Light jet | Up to 2,040nm |
| Embraer Phenom 300E | Light jet | Up to 2,010nm |
| Cessna Citation Latitude | Midsize jet | Up to 2,700nm |
| Bombardier Challenger 350 | Super-midsize | Up to 3,200nm |
| Gulfstream G600 | Large cabin | Up to 6,500nm |
Nicholas Air is a domestic US program. International routes, transatlantic travel, and APAC itineraries are outside its primary service area. Buyers with significant international travel requirements should look at NetJets, VistaJet, or Sentient Jet instead. For buyers who fly primarily within the continental US, the Bahamas, Mexico, and Caribbean, Nicholas Air's coverage is adequate.
Honest pros and cons
- No peak-day surcharges — on any date, ever
- No repositioning fees on owned-fleet flights
- Hours never expire — no forfeiture risk
- ARGUS Platinum rated — highest safety certification tier
- Youngest fleet in the segment — fewer mechanical delays
- No initiation or membership fees — lower total cost of entry
- Crypto payments accepted — unique in the market
- Multiple program structures (card, share, lease) for different flying volumes
- Domestic US focus — limited international routing
- Smaller fleet (~boutique size) vs NetJets/Flexjet
- ~1,500 cardholders — less brand recognition for corporate procurement
- Based in Oxford, MS — less coastal-hub presence than larger programs
- No Red Label-equivalent dedicated crew program
- Pricing on Gulfstream G600 (Steel Card) not publicly listed
Who Nicholas Air is — and isn't — right for
- You fly primarily domestic US routes
- Peak-day certainty at no surcharge is a priority
- You want non-expiring hours on an owned fleet
- Value per dollar is your primary criterion
- You want ARGUS Platinum without NetJets/Flexjet pricing
- Cryptocurrency payment is a genuine convenience
- 25–100 hours per year with variable route mix
- International travel is a primary requirement
- You need the peak-day fleet depth of NetJets' 858 aircraft
- Brand name recognition matters for corporate travel policies
- Ultra-long-range aircraft (Global 7500-class) are required
- You want a dedicated crew consistency program like Flexjet Red Label