LAS VEGAS—Magnifica Air has rolled out its brand and is introducing “private class” scheduled service as a new way to travel, whcih its CEO describes as being halfway between first-class airline and private charter travel.
It plans to operate Part 121 scheduled service with a fleet of 54-seat Airbus A220-300s and 44-46-seat A321neos—all of which will be first-class, lay-flat seats, CEO Wade Black said Oct. 14 here at NBAA-BACE.
The narrowbodies will be leased from Air Lease Corporation, which said in a statement that it would deliver four new A220-300s and two new A321neos to the startup in 2027.
While other carriers have attempted luxurious scheduled service, they chose smaller aircraft, Black said. “I’ve always felt like that was the wrong platform for the product offerings that we’re trying to do,” because having a spacious cabin is key, he added.
After Magnifica Air takes delivery of its first aircraft in December, it will go to Comlux for completion, a process that should take eight to 10 months.
Black expects the new operator to gain its FAA Part 121 operating certificate by the end of 2026 and be “fully operational in the third quarter 2027.”
Planned destinations include Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, San Jose and Palm Beach, according to Black.
Black said the seat price will be about double that of a first-class airline ticket.
Magnifica Air’s parent company CIG Companies, which is in the renewables business, invested $150 million in initial capital funding, Black said. “We’re also in discussions with some other investor groups as well,” he added.
As part of its launch, it introduced The Seven Club members program, which includes guaranteed fixed pricing for families or corporations and tiers of options, including bespoke events.
