AeroVanti CEO says Sarasota air-service company is back in business

AeroVanti CEO Patrick Britton-Harr has notified members of his financially troubled private air club that he plans to relaunch its service Nov. 1.

According to a report in the industry publication Private Jet Card Comparisons, Britton-Harr reached out in an email Sunday afternoon saying the company “is opening up flight operations” on business jets and has begun taking reservations for flights in November and December.

“What I am about to share with you, I have discussed with a few supportive members already,” he wrote, “however, I am sure this email will come as a surprise to many of you.”

The Business Observer has also received a copy of the email but has not been able to independently verify it. Britton-Harr did not respond to a request to confirm he sent it.

The Sarasota- and Annapolis, Maryland-based private air service club is facing or has settled dozens of federal and state lawsuits alleging that it defrauded customers and vendors out of hundreds of thousands of dollars and from employees who claim they went unpaid.

The accusations mostly center on claims that AeroVanti's planes were mechanically unable to fly or had been repossessed by lenders as the company diverted money to bolster marketing and for personal use.

Britton-Harr did not respond to an interview request to discuss for this story what is different about this venture, how it is being funded, what guarantee members have that this time will be different and how he plans to win back the trust of member who allege they were defrauded.

According to Private Jet Card, he wrote in the email that “I have been working diligently on a solution for all our members to structure strategic relationships that will provide safe and reliable flight options under FAA Part 135 regulations at reasonable rates to also include providing full credit for every AeroVanti members previous purchased hours.”

He then included a list of 10 ways a new structure will serve as an “offer in compromise to their current AeroVanti membership.”

The list includes access to Phenom 100 aircrafts, which he writes regularly costs $5,995 per hour for flights, for $4,495 per hour with the additional $1,500 per hour coming from the member AeroVanti balance.

The email does not say who the planes belong to or how the credits will be applied.

Members, who reportedly paid $150,000 for memberships, will also get full credit for their existing balance and will not be charged membership dues.

Britton-Harr himself is facing contempt charges, and the possibility that he will be jailed, in a Maryland court for violating orders in a separate $30 million Medicare fraud case brought by federal prosecutors.

In July, a $26.3 million default judgement was issued against him and several laboratory companies he owns.

Prosecutors have alleged in court records that proceeds from the scheme were used to start the company.