December 2020 | InspiredByPenta.com | 25
Flying Private for a Cause
A look at notable philanthropic partnerships and charitable
efforts among leading private jet companies
By ERIC GROSSMAN
G
iven the stratospheric
costs inherent in the pri-
vate aviation industry, it
comes as no surprise to
learn of myriad charitable
partnerships and philanthropic endeav-
ors among private jet companies. But in
the wake of a global pandemic that has
changed the way people fly and rocked
the sector to its core, various private
jet companies have expanded or recali-
brated their charitable efforts.
In September, Wheels Up, which is
known for its blue and white livery,
unveiled its first orange plane, a Beech-
craft King Air 350i aircraft created in
conjunction with Textron Aviation, to
honor Feeding America’s Hunger
Action Month. The orange jet is part of
the ongoing Wheels Up Cares and Meals
Up initiatives, the latter of which was
created in March to help support the
growing levels of food insecurity during
the Covid-19 crisis.
To date, the project has raised the
equivalent of more than 47 million meals
for Feeding America, thanks in part to
support from Wheels Up ambassadors
such as athletes Tom Brady, Alex Rodri-
guez, and Russell Wilson, and performers
Ciara and Jennifer Lopez.
Meanwhile, Omaha-based Jet Linx
maintains a strong partnership with
The Tutu Project, a New Jersey-based
organization dedicated to raising funds
for women, men, and their families to
ease the financial burdens that come
with breast cancer diagnoses. Each
year since 2015, Jet Linx has issued a
#Dare2Tutu Challenge, which sees the
company match donations and more.
To date, Jet Linx has raised more than
$180,000 for The Tutu Project, making
it the organization’s single-largest corpo-
rate sponsor in both 2018 and 2019.
As one of the biggest and oldest names
operating today, NetJets offers one of
the most traditional examples of a chari-
table partnership within the industry.
The Columbus, Ohio-based company,
a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway
founded in 1964, sets its philanthropic
initiatives and sustainability programs
in accordance with the United Nations’
Sustainable Development Goals. Its
Corporate Angel Network (CAN) part-
nership dates back to 1997, with NetJets
and its customers having donated
hundreds of flight hours to adult and
pediatric cancer patients traveling to
and from treatment programs.
One of NetJets’ newer partnerships,
with Product Red (RED), aims to help
ensure that people living with HIV can
continue to access treatment and ser-
vices amid the pandemic. When NetJets
owners purchase a 25-hour RED Card,
NetJets invests $2,500 in global health
programs through (RED); contributions
from the program support the Global
Fund’s Covid-19 Response Mechanism,
which is helping to mitigate the pan-
demic’s impact on HIV/AIDS services.
For its part, Quincy, Mass.-based
Flexjet donates flight hours and finan-
cial support to an Emeril Lagasse
Foundation charity gala and University
Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s
Hospital in Cleveland.
London-based Victor is forging a
sustainable future for private aviation,
with a goal of becoming the world’s
most environmentally responsible
private aviation provider. Since 2018,
Victor’s global operations have been
carbon neutral, and in 2019 the com-
pany accelerated its commitment to the
planet with a series of environmental
partners, including Vertis and South
Pole. The carbon emissions of every
flight booked through Victor are offset
by 200% at no extra cost to the cus-
tomer. (Fliers who wish to contribute
the equivalent of 400%, 800%, or a
higher offset can do so through Victor’s
carbon-offset program.)
Since launching its double-carbon-
offset policy, Victor reports it has
offset more than 62,000 tons of CO2—
the equivalent of protecting tree
cover 26 times the size of New York’s
Central Park.
Above: Wheels
Up’s first orange
plane, which
honors Feeding
America’s Hunger
Courtesy of Wheels Up Action Month.