What Arcus Air does

Arcus Air is a privately held European private aviation operator founded in 1973, headquartered in Zweibrücken, Germany (with group headquarters referenced in Switzerland) and operating under the legal entity Arcus-Air GmbH & Co. KG. The company runs a curated single-OEM Embraer fleet of approximately ten aircraft, including the Phenom 100 (very light jet), Phenom 300 (super light jet with BMW Group Designworks USA interior), and ERJ 145 (22-seat regional jet configured 1-1 with WiFi), with newer fleet messaging extending to the Pilatus PC-12 and ERJ135. All commercial operations are conducted under Air Operator Certificate D-231 issued by the German Federal Aviation Office (Luftfahrtbundesamt), and the company serves European routes across Germany, Switzerland, the UK, France, and Italy.

The business combines four revenue streams: on-demand Charter Flights (transactional, ad hoc bookings for brokers, corporations, and private individuals), Aircraft Management (managed services covering technical, regulatory, crew, and financial oversight for aircraft owners, with a charter partnership that offsets ownership costs), a Jet Card prepaid program (recurring subscription-style revenue with fixed hourly rates and guaranteed availability), and Empty Leg Flights (discounted repositioning inventory, marketed at up to 75% off regular charter rates). The company sells primarily through direct enterprise channels: website quote requests, dedicated account managers, email outreach (e.g., Daniel Kunz for Jet Card), and broker relationships.

Go-to-market is enterprise-field-sales and direct-to-consumer hybrid, supported by HubSpot CRM and Google Analytics, with channel partnerships through charter brokers and aircraft owners. Pricing is opaque (quote-based), with Jet Card providing the only published recurring structure. Managing Director Michael Kahlert and Accountable Manager Andreas Weissenberger lead the firm, which has 101-250 employees, no disclosed institutional investors or funding rounds, and no parent company.

Name

Arcus Air

Legal name

Arcus-Air GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://arcus-air.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Arcus Air is a privately held German private aviation operator (founded 1973) running an Embraer-centric fleet under German AOC D-231 to deliver charter flights, aircraft management, Jet Cards, and empty leg services to corporate clients, high-net-worth individuals, brokers, and aircraft owners across Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Aviation Services

NAICS

Nonscheduled Chartered Passenger Air Transportation (481211), Nonscheduled Air Transportation (48121)

SIC

Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522)

akta.pro primary industry

Business Jet Charter (On-Demand) (THABAFAA)

Keywords

• Private jet charter
• Aircraft management services
• Jet card programs
• Empty leg flights
• Business aviation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Zweibrücken

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Charter Flights: On-demand private jet charter services for ad hoc flights. Customers book individual flights with pricing based on aircraft type, distance, and duration. Primary revenue driver for the company.
2. Aircraft Management: Comprehensive aircraft ownership management including technical expertise, regulatory compliance, maintenance coordination, flight planning, crewing, and financial billing. Ongoing management fees for aircraft owners.
3. Jet Card Program: Prepaid card program with fixed hourly rates providing guaranteed flight availability, multiple aircraft categories with easy upgrades, and no hidden fees or positioning costs. Recurring revenue from prepaid flight hours.
4. Empty Leg Flights: Repositioning flights offered at discounted rates (up to 75% savings vs regular charter) to maximize aircraft utilization and minimize empty legs. Transaction-based pricing per flight.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Arcus Air operates a fleet of Embraer business jets (Phenom 100, Phenom 300, and ERJ 145) to deliver on-demand private jet charter flights across Europe. The company also offers comprehensive aircraft management services for private jet owners, a prepaid Jet Card program with fixed hourly rates, and discounted empty leg flights.

Product overview

Arcus Air is a private aviation company offering a portfolio of interconnected services: Charter Flights for on-demand private jet travel, Aircraft Management for owners delegating operations, Jet Card for prepaid fixed-rate access, and Empty Leg Flights for discounted repositioning flights. The company operates a curated fleet of Embraer aircraft consisting of Phenom 100 (up to 5 passengers), Phenom 300 (up to 9 passengers), and ERJ 145 (up to 22 passengers), providing coverage across European routes with over 1,000 connections.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Charter Flights On-demand private jet charter service providing ad hoc flights for brokers, corporations, and private individuals with flexible scheduling and personalized services across Europe.
• Aircraft Management Comprehensive aircraft ownership management including technical expertise, regulatory compliance, maintenance coordination, crew management, flight planning, and financial billing for private jet owners.
• Jet Card Prepaid hourly card program offering fixed rates, guaranteed flight availability, dedicated account management, and flexible aircraft upgrade options for frequent travelers.
• Empty Leg Flights Cost-effective repositioning flight option offering up to 75% savings compared to regular charter rates, with fixed itineraries for flexible travelers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Save up to 75% on empty leg flights compared to regular private jet charter rates
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EmbraercoreTechnology or IntegrationPrimary aircraft supplier providing Phenom 100, Phenom 300, and ERJ 145 aircraft. Arcus Air operates exclusively as an Embraer Phenom powerhouse with expertise in these specific aircraft types. Website features Embraer logo indicating official partnership relationship.
• German Federal Aviation Office (Luftfahrtbundesamt)coreOthersRegulatory authority issuing Operating licence D-231 AOC under which Arcus Air conducts flight operations. Continuous safety audits ensure compliance with German aviation standards.
• GBAA - Global Business Aviation AssociationminorOthersIndustry association membership displayed in footer. Indicates participation in global business aviation community and adherence to industry standards.
• Air Charter AssociationminorOthersIndustry association membership (Air Charter Association logo visible on website). Professional network for charter brokers and operators.
• BMW Group Designworks USAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterior design partnership for Phenom 300 aircraft. BMW Group Designworks USA designed the beautifully crafted interior of the Phenom 300 fleet.
• Aircraft Owners (Charter Partnership)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAircraft owners delegate management to Arcus Air and enter charter partnership allowing their aircraft to be offered for charter flights, offsetting ownership costs. Owners review and approve every flight.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• flyExclusive: US-based private jet operator with fractional, Jet Club, and charter products operating a mixed fleet including Phenom jets. Comparable recurring-revenue membership model but in a different primary geography.

Broad incumbents

• Wheels Up: US-headquartered private aviation company with a large mixed-fleet membership model. Broader in scale and geography, but membership/Jet Card mechanics overlap with Arcus Air's prepaid recurring offering.

Direct peers

• VistaJet: Global private aviation company headquartered in Malta/St. Gallen with heavy European exposure and a Jet Card-style subscription model. Competes head-on in European charter and managed fleet services.
• Flexjet: Fractional jet provider with a European operation offering Embraer Phenom and larger aircraft on fractional and lease models. Directly comparable product (Phenom-based fractional share) and customer segments.
• NetJets Europe: Largest fractional ownership and Jet Card operator in Europe, owned by Berkshire Hathaway. Direct competitor across Arcus Air's charter and Jet Card services for corporate and UHNW clients in the same European geographies.
• Air Partner: UK-listed global charter broker and operator with strong European corporate jet charter presence. Competes for the same corporate/broker demand and increasingly offers Jet Card-style products.
• PrivateFly (Directional Aviation): European-headquartered private jet booking platform and charter operator with a Jet Card product and on-demand booking technology. Competes for the same digital-first and corporate traveler segments.
• GlobeAir: European private aviation operator specializing in light and very light jets with an empty-leg and Jet Card-style offering. Closely mirrors Arcus Air's Embraer Phenom-centric fleet and European booking platform model.
• Jet Aviation: Swiss-headquartered global business aviation operator (General Dynamics subsidiary) providing charter, management, FBO, and MRO. Directly comparable aircraft management and European charter offering with substantially larger infrastructure.
• ExecuJet (Luxaviation Group): European business jet operator offering charter, management, and maintenance across multiple aircraft types. Operates in the same European markets with similar service mix to Arcus Air.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/arcusair
• Facebookfacebook.com/arcusair
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arcus-air

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Arcus Air