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August 29, 2006
Air Taxis & the Battle of the Bathrooms
I have written here a number of times about the trends (like increased airport security) favoring charter jets, but it's also worth thinking about the growth of air taxis. Their smaller size, shorter boarding/disembarking time, and speed make Adam Aircraft's A700 and Eclipse Aviation's 500 appealing to new short-hop taxi services, like Magnum and DayJet.Their economics momentarily aside, these new aircraft designs are creating opportunities for innovation. My favorite example is the so-called battle of the bathroom: the Adam A700 has one, while the Eclipse 500 does not.
Rick Adam, the chief executive of Adam Aircraft of Englewood, Colo., said, "People are not going to get on a plane without a bathroom, or at least they're not going to do it more than once."Not so, said Vern Raburn, the chief executive of Eclipse Aviation of Albuquerque.
"How often do you have to go?" Mr. Raburn asked. "What DayJet is planning to do -- and what the majority of our customers are planning to use their planes for -- is fly 300 to 500 miles, in 40 to 80 minutes. Lots of people commute by car that long and don't have to stop."
Raburn's right, but this is more about psychology than biology. If you've ever been in airplane when they announce there is a problem with the restrooms you'll know what I mean: There is rolling of eyes, crossing of legs, and a general sense of teeth-swimming discomfort. People don't need a restroom when there is one, but they get awfully uneasy when there isn't one.
And what about the inevitable "problems" on planes? So what will airlines do? I have visions of, ahem, emergency biology bottles, alongside air sickness bags. Eeeeeew.
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Couple of misconceptions. First, Eclipse includes a lavatory as an option, which it appears DayJet has foregone for a sixth seat, or perhaps a galley, or some other feature to accompany the bad press.
Second, these planes are great, but they're pretty cramped. A VLJ without a bathroom is not like a Gulfstream without a bathroom; it's like a limousine without a bathroom. Grown-ups get in for a 60-minute ride and either make sure they go potty beforehand or hold it in til afterward.
Other coverage here.
Maybe it's time for a few shares of KMB. Depend just got a few more needs.
As a GA pilot I can recommend (empty) large Gatorade as 'emergency biology bottle.'
Eclipse argument will be absolute no go with female customer base. What does work for my wife is guarantee to divert and be on the ground within 15min, no questions asked. VLJs can operate in and out of the same runways but there are obviously logistical and cost implications to consider.