# Tradewind Aviation

> Tradewind Aviation is a Connecticut-based semi-private airline and charter operator founded in 2001 by brothers Eric and David Zipkin. It runs a fleet of more than 30 Swiss-built Pilatus PC-12 turboprops out of private terminals, selling individual seats on scheduled shuttles between the Northeast and the Caribbean - Westchester to Nantucket, San Juan to St. Barths - alongside on-demand charter and aircraft management. Every flight uses two pilots and eight-seat cabins, positioning the company between the hassle of commercial airlines and the price of a full jet charter.

- **Founded:** 2001
- **Headquarters:** Oxford, Connecticut, United States
- **Founders:** Eric Zipkin (Co-Founder and CEO), David Zipkin (Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer)
- **Team size:** About 350-400 employees
- **Products:** Scheduled Service (Semi-Private Shuttles), On-Demand Private Charter, Goodspeed Jet Card, Aircraft Management, St. Barth Travel Experiences
- **Notable:** Named a top U.S. airline in Conde Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards for five consecutive years (2021-2025), reaching the top five, Grew from a single Cessna Caravan in 2002 to a fleet of more than 30 Pilatus PC-12 aircraft, Ordered 20 Pilatus PC-12 NGX aircraft in 2022 in a deal valued at over $100M

## Products & services

- **Scheduled Service (Semi-Private Shuttles)** — Per-seat scheduled flights on 8-passenger Pilatus PC-12 aircraft between destinations such as Westchester, Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, San Juan, St. Barths, Anguilla, Antigua, and the Bahamas. Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard routes offer discounted ticket books.
- **On-Demand Private Charter** — Point-to-point charter across the Northeast, Southeast, and Caribbean using the PC-12 fleet, flown by two pilots.
- **Goodspeed Jet Card** — Membership jet-card program offering guaranteed availability and fixed hourly rates on the PC-12 fleet.
- **Aircraft Management** — Managed-aircraft services for owners, including operations, maintenance oversight, and charter revenue.
- **St. Barth Travel Experiences** — Curated air-plus-hotel packages with top St. Barths luxury hotels and villas, bundling flights with island stays.

## Achievements

- Named a top U.S. airline in Conde Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards for five consecutive years (2021-2025), reaching the top five
- Grew from a single Cessna Caravan in 2002 to a fleet of more than 30 Pilatus PC-12 aircraft
- Ordered 20 Pilatus PC-12 NGX aircraft in 2022 in a deal valued at over $100M
- Operates year-round scheduled service to St. Barths since 2006
- Expanded to Florida-Bahamas scheduled routes (2024) and added Boston service (2026)
- Flew humanitarian relief missions after Hurricane Irma and the 2010 Haiti earthquake

## Latest updates

- **2025-10** — Named among Conde Nast Traveler's best U.S. airlines for a fifth consecutive year, ranking in the top five.
- **2025-12** — Added Fort Lauderdale departures to the Abacos and North Eleuthera in the Bahamas.
- **2026-06** — Launched Boston scheduled service.
- **2026** — Opened booking for 2026-2027 Caribbean scheduled flights to St. Barths, Virgin Gorda, Tortola, and Anguilla; fleet surpasses 30 PC-12s with more on order.

## Links

- Website: https://flytradewind.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradewind-aviation
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/flytradewind
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@flytradewind
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flytradewind
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flytradewind

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/tradewind-aviation
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-13