JSX CEO Alex Wilcox analyzes the dispute with major airlines over FAA regulation

JSX CEO Alex Wilcox has attracted attention with his public charter jet service, particularly from two D-FW airlines and aviation unions.

But he is not worried.

“We agree with the FAA that there should be additional rules for airlines of a certain size flying aircraft of a certain size on a certain number of flights, and we fall into that category,” Wilcox said. The Dallas Morning News in an interview last month. “I can say we believe in it because we have already done it.”

JSX and other Part 135 operators like Aero and Contour have come under fire from major airlines and unions for calling their existing model a “loophole” in some of the regulations that govern large commercial airlines. While Part 135 operators are allowed to bypass Transportation Security Administration queues and other regulations, they are only allowed to sell a maximum of 30 seats on their planes. The Federal Aviation Administration has since stepped in with two actions this summer to impose more regulations and to create a panel to study the possibility of adjusting the rules for commuter and charter flights.

JSX blames Fort Worth-based American Airlines and Dallas-based Southwest Airlines for pressuring the FAA to impose stricter regulations on charter airlines like themselves. American and Southwest, along with their unions, have filed briefs with the FAA criticizing the model.

Wilcox said his airline already has a quality assurance system for flight operations, a safety program also used by commercial airlines and a flight safety program that encourages voluntary reporting of safety problems and incidents. He said JSX has also increased its training requirements beyond those required for a public charter service.

“Everything that happens on every flight, every day, we monitor,” Wilcox said. “… I think we're actually in great shape.”

He has had “very frequent” conversations with the FAA and people who oversee JSX operations, he said, and the FAA is “very open to suggestions.” In August 2023, the FAA requested comment on the matter and received over 60,000 public comments.

“Part of the FAA's safety mission is to identify risks early, and that's exactly what we're doing with public charter flights, which are seeing an increase in use,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said in June. “If a company is actually operating as a scheduled airline, the FAA must determine whether that operation is subject to the same stringent rules as scheduled airlines.”

Brett Snyder, president of Cranky Flier and a longtime aviation analyst, wrote in a blog in late June that JSX's main goal is to be able to operate from private terminal areas, such as the one at Dallas Love Field, where passengers can arrive less than an hour before departure.

“The major airlines most at risk have fought back, especially American and Southwest,” Snyder wrote in June. “And they appear to be succeeding. I don't think the safety arguments here are good or fair, but there is a strong case for consistent regulation.”

Security concerns have not slowed the growth of JSX.

“I see it as a result rather than a cause,” Wilcox said. “Because we're successful, they don't like us.”

In July, the airline had 48 aircraft. In June, JSX expanded flight schedules between Dallas Love Field and Taos Regional Airport in New Mexico.

There are plans to continue growing in Dallas, but Wilcox said there is still some work to be done on modernizing the aircraft. He would like to add a route from Dallas to Palm Beach, Florida. Service from Dallas to Scottsdale, Arizona, is scheduled to begin in October. JSX stands for “joyful, simple, experience.” The airline moved its headquarters from California to Dallas in 2018. JSX sells tickets for its 30-seat Embraer jets.

“I think some of our competitors have failed to realize that we are actually the model for how this part of the industry should work,” Wilcox said.

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