Jackson Square Aviation

Jackson Square Aviation
Name	Jackson Square Aviation
Type	Private
Industry	Aviation
Founded	1998
Founders	William H. Carter; Maria L. DuBois
Headquarters	Jackson Square, New Orleans, Louisiana
Area served	Gulf Coast; Caribbean; Central America
Key people	William H. Carter (CEO); Maria L. DuBois (COO)
Products	Charter flights; Aircraft management; Maintenance; Fixed-base operator services
Num employees	320 (2024)

Jackson Square Aviation

Jackson Square Aviation is a regional fixed-base operator and charter aviation company based in Jackson Square, New Orleans. The company provides on-demand charter, aircraft management, maintenance, and FBO services across the Gulf Coast, Caribbean, and Central America. Established by aviation entrepreneurs with backgrounds in corporate flight departments and airline operations, the company grew from a single turboprop charter to a diversified aviation service provider.

History

Founded in 1998 by William H. Carter and Maria L. DuBois after careers at corporate operators and regional carriers, Jackson Square Aviation began with a single Beechcraft King Air serving business and leisure charters from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. Early expansion included contracts with energy-sector firms operating in the Gulf of Mexico and tourism operators flying to Key West International Airport and Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport. Post-2005, following impacts from Hurricane Katrina, the company participated in relief logistics alongside Federal Aviation Administration-coordinated efforts and collaborated with Federal Emergency Management Agency assets to support aerial supply and evacuation missions.

In the 2010s Jackson Square Aviation diversified into aircraft management and maintenance, acquiring a Part 145 repair station certificate and expanding hangar capacity near Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans. Strategic partnerships with charter brokers and membership in regional associations such as National Business Aviation Association supported growth into executive charter and medevac services. In 2018 the company opened a Caribbean route network with approvals to operate into Sangster International Airport and Sir Grantley Adams International Airport. Throughout its history Jackson Square Aviation has engaged with state aviation authorities including the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development and federal regulators such as the Transportation Security Administration for security coordination.

Operations and Services

Jackson Square Aviation operates a range of services: on-demand charter flights for corporate clients, scheduled shuttle contracts for oil and gas firms, aircraft management for private owners, and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) work. Corporate shuttle services frequently support clients flying between Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport, William P. Hobby Airport, and Gulf Coast helicopter staging points. The company’s medevac operations coordinate with regional hospitals including Ochsner Medical Center and emergency services such as Air Methods in joint patient transfer missions.

As an FBO, the company provides fueling, ground handling, passenger lounges, and concierge services at multiple regional airports. Jackson Square Aviation’s aircraft management division offers crew sourcing, flight planning, and regulatory compliance support to owners of light jets and turboprops, leveraging partnerships with insurance carriers and leasing firms like NetJets-era counterparts and international brokers. The maintenance department performs avionics upgrades, engine overhauls, and structural inspections consistent with standards from manufacturers such as Textron Aviation and Pratt & Whitney.

Fleet

Jackson Square Aviation maintains a mixed fleet optimized for regional charter and utility missions. Typical types include turboprops such as the Beechcraft King Air series and light to mid-size jets like the Cessna Citation family and Embraer Phenom models. Rotary-wing assets for offshore and medevac service have included helicopters from the Sikorsky and Bell Helicopter lines. The company’s MRO shop is rated to service airframes equipped with engines from Honeywell and Rolls-Royce as well as avionics suites from Garmin and Honeywell Aerospace.

Fleet acquisition strategy blends outright ownership, managed aircraft under Part 91 arrangements, and charter-ready aircraft under Part 135 operations. Jackson Square Aviation has historically balanced newer airframes for executive charters with rugged turboprops for island-hopping and unimproved-field access, enabling operations to airports such as Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport and regional Caribbean fields. Fleet modernization programs have included retrofits with NextGen avionics to comply with Federal Aviation Administration airspace mandates.

Facilities and Locations

The company’s headquarters and primary FBO are located in Jackson Square, New Orleans, with secondary facilities at regional airports along the Gulf Coast and Caribbean gateway fields. Primary facilities include heated hangars, paint and composite shops, avionics benches, and a customer terminal with crew amenities. Satellite locations provide line maintenance and transient support at airports such as Pensacola International Airport, Mobile Regional Airport, and Tampa International Airport.

Internationally, Jackson Square Aviation maintains operational bases and ground handling agreements across the Caribbean with ground partners at Sangster International Airport, Norman Manley International Airport, and Grantley Adams International Airport. The company has invested in fuel farm access and perimeter security upgrades meeting standards similar to other regional FBOs serving executive and charter aviation clientele.

Safety and Regulatory Compliance

Safety management at Jackson Square Aviation integrates a Safety Management System (SMS) aligned to guidance from the Federal Aviation Administration and best practices promoted by International Civil Aviation Organization. The company holds Part 135 certifications for charter operations and Part 145 for maintenance, and submits to recurrent audits from aviation insurers and third-party auditors affiliated with industry bodies like the Aviation Suppliers Association.

Operational compliance includes crew training programs reflecting standards from Flight Safety International and recurrent simulator and checkride schedules consistent with manufacturer recommendations from Textron Aviation and Embraer. Regulatory coordination encompasses filings with the FAA for international overflight and landing permits and compliance with regional civil aviation authorities such as the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority and Barbados Civil Aviation Department for Caribbean operations. Continuous improvement initiatives have focused on safety reporting culture, fatigue risk management, and data-driven maintenance practices informed by service bulletins from original equipment manufacturers like Pratt & Whitney and Honeywell.

Category:Aviation companies of the United States