There’s a new airline startup in the United States, and it’s unlike anything we’ve seen before in the country. I actually think it’s a great concept in theory, though some of the details may need a little more ironing out. We first learned about this a couple of months ago, but more details have just been made available, so let’s go over everything we know.
In this post:
Magnifica Air, between first class and a private jet
Magnifica Air is an airline startup that hopes to launch service as of the third quarter of 2027. Before I go any further, let me emphasize that this seems to be “legit” (which isn’t to say that it’ll get off the ground, but my point is to say that there are reputable people behind this, and they’re serious).
There’s no denying that the general trend in travel nowadays has been toward more premium experiences, and Magnifica Air is hoping to tap into that demand. Essentially think of the airline as trying to offer an experience somewhere between first class and private jet travel.
Magnifica Air wants to operate scheduled service within the United States, and plans to be a Part 121 operator, so it’s not looking to take advantage of any Part 135 “scheduled charter” loopholes. Initial flights are expected to be to Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, and the Bay Area, with seasonal routes to Napa Valley and the Caribbean.
At the time of launch, the company intends to acquire eight aircraft from Air Lease Corporation and Azorra (and has already signed agreements), including six Airbus A220-300s and two Airbus A321neos, with at least some of the A220s being ex-EgyptAir frames. The first plane is expected to be delivered before the end of the year, and the process of getting it ready for service will then take 18 months. The goal is to grow the fleet to 25 planes within four years.
The expectation is that the Airbus A220-300s will be configured to accommodate 45 passengers, while the Airbus A321neos will be configured to accommodate 54 passengers:
- A220s are expected to have recliner seats, while A321s are expected to have flat beds
- All planes will have private suites at the front of the cabin, branded as Private Class — there will be two of these on the A220s, and two on the A321s
- The A321s will also have lounges at the back
Magnifica Air is partnering with Comlux on the interiors of the planes, as that’s something that the company has a lot of experience with.
Magnifica Air promotes how guests can arrive just 30 minutes before departure, to private terminals, with white glove baggage handling and TSA approved screening inside lounges. On arrival, bags will be delivered within 10-15 minutes, chauffeurs will wait curbside, and guests can refresh in lounges before their onward journeys.
The company also claims it will be carbon neutral at launch, integrating more than seven million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel annually (which… is really expensive?).
Magnifica Air will also have The Seven Club, which is the carrier’s private membership community, described as “uniting travelers who value culture, connection, and consistency.” Members will gain priority access, fixed-rate pricing, and exclusive invitations to curated experiences that extend beyond the skies.
There’s quite an experienced team behind the venture, as it was founded by Wade Black, who has decades of experience in commercial and private aviation. You can watch a video about the Magnifica Air experience here (I can’t seem to embed it).
My take on the Magnifica Air premium airline concept
The airline business is a really tough industry, and generally speaking, odds are stacked against startups. So many startups we’ve seen in the US over the years have had the same idea, of wanting to undercut the competition on price. So it’s nice to see a different startup concept for once, reflecting the premium travel trends we’ve seen.
Some OMAAT readers may remember my post from several months ago about my US premium airline startup idea. It’s actually quite similar to this, though my only concern is that the airline might be going a little bit too upmarket. The airline business isn’t easy, and I tend to think that to be successful, you need a big loyalty play, you need upsell opportunities, and you need to diversify your revenue a bit, and that’s an area where the opportunities for Magnifica Air may be limited.
Admittedly there’s a big market between a standard domestic first class product and private travel, but to what extent will this be able to bridge the gap? The general challenges are that:
- For those who usually fly commercial, it might be hard to poach those people as customers, given that Magnifica Air will presumably not have a huge route network, and many travelers are brand loyal, and are on the status hamster wheel
- For those who usually fly private, the single biggest convenience is being able to fly the route you want to fly when you want to fly it, and that’s something a startup scheduled service operator will struggle with
- It just seems like Magnifica Air isn’t at all being realistic about costs; by all means offer an amazing, premium inflight service, but how expensive will tickets by to have private terminals with security, lounges everywhere, and sustainable aviation fuel across the board?
- How much demand can there really be for this, and will the airline be able to offer the frequencies required to attract travelers? Like, 3x weekly flights between New York and Los Angeles aren’t exactly going to be sustainable given the competitive landscape, and at the same time, I can’t imagine the airline will find sufficient demand for several daily flights, given how far upmarket it’s going
I’m very excited to learn more, and I’m certainly rooting for Magnifica Air, and would love to see this concept succeed. I’ll be sure to provide more details as they’re made available.
Bottom line
Magnifica Air is the most interesting airline startup we’ve seen in the United States in a very long time. The airline hopes to launch in 2027 with a combination of A220-300s and A321neos, in an uber-premium configuration. All planes will have a combination of first class and private suites, and the A321s will even have an onboard bar.
It’s cool to see an airline startup trying something new, and I can’t wait to see how this plays out…
What do you make of the Magnifica Air concept?
Stop giving such charlatan behaviour the time of day ffs.
The ITA Airways A321 seat would be more premium/private than what they're proposing. If you're gonna try for semi-private, you can't be using seats that are being phased out on commercial airlines
What nonsense. No demand for this.
Back in the 80's we had MGM Grand Air with a small fleet or ultra lux (for the times) of a few DC-8's and Boeing 727's. There was nothing else like it and it was popular out of LAX and latest a few years.
I happen to think that the current demand for premium travel is going to soften quite a bit in the next couple of years. I have been around long enough to have seen how cyclical travel trends can be. I can't see this carrier doing much if anything.
A serious question if you please Brad?
If you “Happen to think that the current demand for premium travel is going to soften quite a bit in the next couple of years”, will this softening occur first in the PJ market, or, with the domestic commercial schedule airlines?
It is my understanding that the U.S. PJ market is not showing significant signs of softening at the moment. Again, do you have an opinion on this too?
Aero, you know better, the G550s are gonna be flyin’ plenty, regardless.
“Quite piggy” who asked you? Get back in your box child.
@Ben do you think the current appetite for so many to travel in premium cabins will continue or will the bubble burst abruptly? I ask because the post covid trend continues and I’ve barely seen an empty cabin up front, long gone have the operational upgrades and I’ve even been struggling to get upgraded with miles in the lounge.
The interiors look like Epstein MAGA Airlines. Disgusting.
Rent free in your small brain.
As is usually the case, fools and their money are soon parted. I wish them luck, but they're not going to be successful.
Smells like the Mango Mussolini to me. Spray-tans welcome!
Rent free in your small brain.
A Global Airlines #2 is coming! This time in the US. Will NEVER lift off!
Thank god it's carbon neutral! No way it would be successful without subscribing to the made up ESG metrics that have no bearing on reality!
"Is it realistic?"
Short answer: No.
Slightly longer answer: Nope.
That said, I wish we could see more airlines like La Compagnie actually profitably operate business-class-only lie-flat routes anywhere and everywhere.
This reminds me of MGM Grand Air from the 1980s and the failed transatlantic airlines of the 2000s (Eos, MaxJet, SilverJet). It's extremely hard to make an all-premium airline work with mainline-sized aircraft. La Compagnie is the only one I'm aware of doing it. Even BA and SQ discontinued their all-business class flights.
Assuming there won’t be a financial crash by then to make 2007 look like a joke
Premium airlines have been tried and failed. The biggest hurdle is that high level CEOs need to travel to a multitude of different places. Contracting private air travel does that. An airline that flys to a small number of destinations does not. The number of uber rich people just isn't that great to sustain a US commercial airline geared towards luxury personal travel.
Say it with me, George: La-Com-pag-nie!
It can be done.
La Compagnie (and before them L'Avion and Openskies by British Airways, a nonstop 18 years success) works because they have struck the right balance as far as Frequency (every day at the same time, sometimes 2xday), Premium Service, good but not extravagant, no Krug Champagne and no caviar on demand), and price, essentially "Buiness Class for the price of the others' Premium Economy". Orly and Newark are minor deterrents, while the other airlines make a...
La Compagnie (and before them L'Avion and Openskies by British Airways, a nonstop 18 years success) works because they have struck the right balance as far as Frequency (every day at the same time, sometimes 2xday), Premium Service, good but not extravagant, no Krug Champagne and no caviar on demand), and price, essentially "Buiness Class for the price of the others' Premium Economy". Orly and Newark are minor deterrents, while the other airlines make a klilling on P.E., essentially charging twice or more the price of Economy for almost no, or only very slightly improved experience.
It can be done, has been since 2007.
IF (big "IF") Magnifica can stick to these basics, they may succeed. The odds are that they won't because the price (and maybe the product) wil be too high.
I think you hit the nail on the head - you need frequency for anything to be successful. Even if the demand for a luxury product may exist, folks with that kind of cash are not going to rearrange their lives to accommodate this startup's limited schedules. And this is a weird product to sell to corporates. While this may appeal to the Soho House set, even AA's new XLRs are more private than most of this plane - at least onboard.
But, what about MCE on those XLRs?!