Client News

Steve McIntyre, president of MPIJet, a private charter company based out of Monterey Jet Center at the Monterey Regional Airport, talks about the fleet of aircraft his company owns.
(James Herrera – Monterey Herald)

A full-service private jet charter company at the Monterey Regional Airport — Monterey Pacific International Jet — has expanded its private air travel services offering more national and international flights along with custom concierge and cargo services among many others.

Co-owners President Steve McIntyre and director of operations James Garamendi introduced the expanded fleet of aircraft and services at a gathering on Friday.

"In the '50s and '60s, air travel was an event that people dressed up for," said Garamendi. "We want to put personality and service back into transportation."

MPIJet, based at the Monterey Jet Center, 300 Sky Park Way in Monterey, is the only Part 135 FAA certified jet charter company in Monterey and San Benito counties, and is the first "fleet" based company offering charter service out of the Monterey airport.

"We're the only game in town and we're locally based," Garamendi stated.

James Garamendi, MPIJet director of operations, stands next to one of five jets in the private charter company's fleet at the Monterey Jet Center on Friday.
(James Herrera – Monterey Herald)

The Federal Aviation Administration grants authority to operate on-demand, unscheduled air service in the form of Part 135 certificates and can vary from small single aircraft operators to large operators that often provide a network to move cargo to larger Part 121 air carriers. Many Part 135 operators offer critical passenger and cargo service to remote areas, providing a lifeline to populations that would not otherwise exist, according to the FAA website.

MPIJet was launched in 2014, after McIntyre and Garamendi acquired Jet West Charter, as Monterey Pacific Executive Charter to serve a business and agriculture clientele in the western United States out of the Salinas Municipal Airport. It purchased air charter certificates from two carriers in Monterey County giving it the Part 135 FAA certification distinction.

Monterey Pacific Inc. is the parent company of Monterey Pacific International Jet and is headquartered in Soledad. In October 2018, the operation moved from Salinas to its current site of operations at the Monterey Jet Center at the Monterey Regional Airport.

"We're the same company with the same team leading the charge," said Garamendi. "The name change didn't change our standards."

In 2018, MPIJet partnered with Global Wings out of Texas and Wine Flights based in Carmel to offer more national and international flights, handle soft cargo and enhance its customer experience with custom concierge services, which enables MPIJet to tailor travel for specific needs.

There were previous charter service companies that operated out of Monterey airport with one plane such as Shearwater Air in 2010 and Jet Monterey in the 1980s. Shearwater Air did add a second plane in 2013, but shortly thereafter it moved the planes out of Monterey.

MPIJet's seven full-time pilots are certified under the Federal Aviation Regulations Part 135 — a rigorous certification process that guarantees the highest level of flight operations, maintenance and training.

Both McIntyre and Garamendi are pilots.

The private air charter company's current fleet includes two Citation Bravo jets that seat eight passengers apiece, one Pilatus PC12 that seats up to nine, one Baron 58 seating up to five, and one Cessna Citation CJ2+ that seats up to eight. The fleet is maintained locally at Advancetech Inc., a multigenerational aviation business located at the Salinas Municipal Airport.

Garamendi said the company's next jet would probably be a 14-seater added to the fleet sometime in the future.

"We want the community to know we are here and available for their type of travel," said the director of operations.

The private aircraft have access to almost all commercial airports worldwide. There are about 27 passenger airports alone in California and about 150 airports total that MPIJet can access. Customers arrive closer to their ultimate destination, which can save the need for stopover, transfers and overnight stays.

But it has access to destinations all over the globe. MPIJet's air partners are worldwide, from large heavy jets that will accommodate 14 to 20 passengers to even larger aircraft that can hold several hundred passengers.

Reservations with MPIJet can be made online at www.mpijet.com or by calling 831-678-5225.