Premier Air Charter (San Diego McClellan Palomar) has secured United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval for Part 135 operations with aircraft configured for 10 or more passengers, in line with plans outlined by chief executive Ross Gourdie in an exclusive interview with ch-aviation in early 2025.

Following this, the company now plans to add two Gulfstream Aerospace aircraft acquired in late 2024, namely a 1994-built, 14-seat GIV, N236CA (msn 1202), and a GIV-SP manufactured in 1995 and configured for up to 18 passengers. Both were previously placed under the Part 135 certificate of Paradigm Jet Management and are currently not Part 135-certified.

“Premier Air Charter believes that these aircraft, if fully chartered, have the ability to generate up to an additional USD10 million in incremental annual revenue, commencing in July,” the company said in a statement. Both jets require additional pilot training and certification prior to entry into service.

Additionally, Premier Air Charter will reconfigure a Challenger 601-3R, N813MS (msn 5171), produced in 1995, and a 1997-built Challenger 604, N604LL (msn 5321), inducted in late 2025, to 12-seat layouts. Both aircraft, currently under Premier Air Charter's Part 135 certificate, are expected to enter service in the new configuration between mid- and late June.

Beyond this, Premier Air Charter's Part 135 fleet comprises another Challenger 601-3R parked at San Diego McClellan Palomar since February 27, a Citation Jet 2 active twice in 2026, two Citation Jet 3s added in early 2025, one of them inactive at San Diego McClellan Palomar since October 5, and four Citation X jets, including one inducted in late 2025 and another parked at San Diego McClellan Palomar since December 31.