Californian Part 135 Mountain Lion Aviation has expanded its private charter service to Texas. This new service has already commenced with operations based at Fort Worth Alliance airport in Fort Worth, Texas. Mountain Lion Aviation is the first Part 135 charter company to offer private aircraft charters at AFW.

Mountain Lion chose AFW as its base of operations due its top customer facilities, central location and proximity to a large mid-market population of executives and families seeking the convenience and safety of private charters. Fort Worth Alliance, the anchor of AllianceTexas, a 27,000-acre, master-planned community developed by Hillwood, continues to attract the aviation industry's top innovators, leading corporations and regional growth of families relocating to north Texas.

“We are so proud to expand into my home state of Texas, and we are honoured to partner with the world class team at Fort Worth Alliance airport,” says Mountain Lion founder and chairman Jim Wilkinson. “The commercial aviation experience today is unpleasant, time consuming and very unpredictable. If COVID has taught us anything it's that we should value what matters most and spend time on things that truly matter in our lives. Every one of us has reevaluated our lives in the wake of the pandemic, and there is no question that time with our families is most precious. We serve business travellers who need to get to cities like Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, west Texas or neighbouring states and then be home for dinner or events with their families. We also serve families whose desire is to travel, on their own terms, to beautiful places like Colorado and Florida or a college football game or golf tournament and then be back home while others are still stuck in airport security or traffic.”

Fort worth Alliance airport senior VP Chris Ash adds: “Mountain Lion Aviation's concierge approach to service, coupled with its professionalism and safety standards, makes it the perfect addition to the AFW family. Mountain Lion Aviation without a doubt will help the north Texas community create efficiency when conducting business, and more importantly when spending time with family. We're excited to support Mountain Lion Aviation as it begins to operate in Texas. I have no doubt it'll support the community well and help create a safe and efficient travel experience.”

Mountain Lion has carefully chosen its aircraft platforms with safety, convenience and customer affordability in mind. It currently uses three different aircraft in Texas: a Pilatus PC-12 provides a cabin with ample room for seven people, with a range of up to 1,400 nm along with one of the industries safest engines, the Pratt & Whitney PT-6 turbine; a Socata TBM 940, the world's fastest turboprop, which can seat five passengers for destinations of up to 1,200 nm. This aircraft is also equipped with the Home Safe auto-landing system; and the Cirrus SR-22 Turbo, equipped with the latest modern avionics package and the famous Cirrus parachute system for the entire aircraft for added safety. With a range of approximately 500 nm, the Cirrus provides economical and safe mobility for regional trips for up to four passengers.

Mountain Lion Aviation was founded four years ago by Jim Wilkinson out of his family's frustration with the gridlock of traffic and a desire to spend more time experiencing new places with his family. The company has a simple vision: to help people take back control of their schedules and stop wasting time sitting in traffic or in airport security.

“The average resident in our country spends more than 60 hours a year in traffic, and if you live in a major population centre, you can spend well over 100 hours a year in gridlocked traffic,” he explains. “Traffic has become a serious choke point that dramatically affects quality of life, and sadly this congestion is only going to get worse. But it doesn't have to be this way. We believe your time is too valuable to waste with hours and hours in traffic, and we believe your schedule is too precious to be held hostage by gridlock. You deserve flexibility, convenience and personalised service. Your travel and schedule needs are unique, and there simply is no one-size-fits-all aviation model that will help you improve your efficiency and effectiveness.

“Anyone that claims otherwise simply isn't telling the truth. The truth is that you need personal concierge service from someone who knows your name, knows your travel needs and is available on your schedule. We provide this personal service to you. Mobility today is a challenge for us all, and we can help. We focus on serving a small and elite group of clients who have made the important decision to take back control of their schedules, to spend less time in traffic and to spend their time doing things that really matter. We believe in the principle of no wasted motion, and we would be honoured to have the chance to help you take back your life.”