Big Financial Firms Keep Their Jets

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Dec 23rd 2008 at 7:02PM

The car companies may have gotten in trouble for their corporate jets, but as the AP reports, private jets are still flying for Wall Street's firms. They report that six financial firms that received billions in bailout dollars haven't sold off their jets. In fact they are still in use to carry executives to company events and sometimes personal trips. In many of these cases, the CEO is required to use a private jet for security reasons. AIG has seven planes but a spokesman reports they are being used sparingly. The company sold two jets earlier this year and is selling or canceling orders for four others. Citigroup's aircraft are being used a by a few executives but the execs are "encouraged to fly commercial." Morgan Stanley has two jets. JP Morgan owns four Gulfstream jets including a a 2007 ultra-long range flagship G550 model, a plane that sells for around $47.5 million. Bank of America has nine planes including four Gulfstreams. Wells Fargo owns a single jet that is strictly for business use.

While SEC rules require that publicly held companies disclose executives' personal use of corporate aircraft, the line between personal use and business use can often be hard to determine. Overall, companies are cutting back on the use of the jets for any reason that can seem frivolous. They haven't had to travel to Washington to beg for money yet but if they do, likely they'll leave the fleet at home.

If you are shopping for a jet, the picture above is from a used Gulfstream GIV-SP listed at $25.95 million.

Tags: aig, citigroup, jets, morgan stanley, MorganStanley, private jet, PrivateJet, wells fargo