Short answer: NetJets sells fractional shares and prepaid jet cards in its own fleet, so you commit capital up front (a NetJets Share carries a 36-month minimum commitment, per NetJets) in return for guaranteed access. Silver Air is an FAA Part 135 direct charter operator and aircraft manager founded in 2008, so you pay per trip on a specific aircraft from its managed fleet, with no share purchase and no membership required.
Neither model is “better” in the abstract. The right choice depends on how many hours you fly, how much notice you usually have, whether you want an asset on your balance sheet, and whether you already own an aircraft. This guide compares the two on the points buyers actually ask about, using NetJets’ own public pages for every NetJets fact.
| Question | NetJets (per netjets.com, October 2026) | Silver Air |
|---|---|---|
| Business model | Fractional ownership (NetJets Share, including lease options) and prepaid NetJets Card | On-demand Part 135 charter, aircraft management (PURE Jet Management), and the Flight Club membership |
| Up-front commitment | Share: 36-month minimum commitment. Card: prepaid, typically in 25-hour increments, “no long-term commitment” | None for on-demand charter: each trip is quoted and paid separately |
| Guaranteed access | Share: up to 365 days a year, as little as 4 hours’ notice. Card: up to 320 days, guaranteed with as little as 48 hours’ notice | Availability depends on the managed fleet and the date; typical quote turnaround [NEEDS NUMBER FROM OPS] |
| Aircraft | Nine jet models for Share (Phenom 300/E up to Global 7500/8000); five models on the Card | Managed fleet from Pilatus PC-12 NG and Citation CJ3 up to Challenger 350, Citation X, G-IV SP, GV, G550 and Global Express |
| Do you pick the exact tail? | You buy into an aircraft type; the specific aircraft is assigned by NetJets | Yes: you can choose a specific aircraft from the fleet when booking |
| Safety credentials stated publicly | ARGUS Platinum (since 2011), IS-BAO Stage 3 (since 2015), BARS Gold (since 2013) | Wyvern Wingman PRO certified, IS-BAO, Safety Management System with a Flight Risk Assessment Tool on every flight |
| Owns an asset? | Share owners hold an interest in an aircraft | Charter clients do not; aircraft owners can place their own jet under Silver Air management |
| Best fit | High, predictable annual hours where guaranteed access on short notice justifies capital and multi-year terms | Variable or trip-by-trip flying, large-cabin and long-range missions, and owners who want management plus charter revenue |
NetJets: you buy access to a fleet. With a NetJets Share you acquire (or lease) a fraction of a specific aircraft type and receive a defined allocation of flight time across the fleet. NetJets says Share owners get access up to 365 days a year with as little as four hours’ notice, that it takes new aircraft directly from manufacturers, and that it plans more than 80 deliveries in 2026. U.S. fractional programs are governed by FAA Part 91 Subpart K rather than the Part 135 charter rules. The NetJets Card is the lighter entry: prepaid hours on a selected aircraft type, typically sold in 25-hour blocks, with guaranteed access on as little as 48 hours’ notice.
Silver Air: you buy a trip on a specific aircraft. Silver Air holds operational control of the aircraft it manages and flies them under its own Part 135 certificate. When you charter, you get a quote for that mission on an aircraft you can see and choose: its year, cabin, range and Wi-Fi. There is nothing to buy in advance and no annual minimum. Frequent flyers who want prepaid convenience can use Flight Club, Silver Air’s membership with a refundable Flight Balance (a membership, not a jet card or fractional program).
NetJets cost structure. NetJets does not publish share prices, monthly fees or hourly rates on its program pages; it describes pricing as premium and directs buyers to a consultation. What it does state publicly: no ferry (repositioning) fees for owners and card holders, no minimum flight charges on Share, and removal of the one-hour minimum on most light and midsize jets so owners pay only for actual flight time. In practice, fractional buyers should model three layers: the share acquisition or lease, a recurring management fee, and an hourly fee for time flown. Ask NetJets for all three in writing.
Silver Air cost structure. A charter quote is built per trip: the aircraft’s hourly rate for flight time, plus any repositioning, crew overnight costs, airport and handling fees, and federal taxes. Silver Air’s hourly rates by aircraft are [NEEDS NUMBER FROM OPS]. Because nothing is prepaid, the trade-off is that pricing and availability move with demand, especially on peak days.
Taxes are not the same. According to the FAA’s 2026 aviation excise tax schedule, Part 135 charter carries the 7.5% domestic transportation tax plus a $5.30 per-passenger flight segment tax (or $23.40 per passenger on international arrivals and departures). Fractional program flights are treated differently: the same FAA schedule lists a 14.1-cent-per-gallon surcharge on fuel used in fractional ownership flights on top of the 21.8-cent general aviation jet fuel tax. Have your tax adviser compare the two for your actual flying.
Both companies publish their safety programs, and buyers should read the primary pages rather than summaries.
NetJets states it holds ARGUS Platinum (since 2011), IS-BAO Stage 3 (since 2015) and BARS Gold (since 2013); that it was the first private aviation company to reach the highest level of the FAA’s Safety Management System program; that pilots train under an Advanced Qualification Program and fly a single aircraft type; and that it has a safety team of nearly 80 people.
Silver Air is Wyvern Wingman PRO certified, operates to the IS-BAO standard, and runs a Safety Management System in which every flight goes through a Flight Risk Assessment Tool before release. Its record-keeping is open to FAA oversight. Details are on the Silver Air safety and certifications page.
What to verify for either. Ask for the current audit reports (not logos), the operator named on your specific flight, and whether any of your trips will be subcontracted to another operator. That last question matters for both models when demand peaks.
NetJets tends to fit if you fly a high, steady number of hours each year, you need guaranteed lift on a few hours’ notice year-round, you are comfortable with a multi-year commitment, and you value a single, very large fleet with consistent cockpits and cabins.
Silver Air tends to fit if your flying is uneven (a roadshow one quarter, nothing the next), you often need a large-cabin or ultra-long-range aircraft such as a G550 or Global Express, you want to choose the exact aircraft, or you prefer to keep capital out of an aircraft interest. It also fits owners: if you already own a jet, PURE Jet Management can manage it and put it on Silver Air’s charter certificate to offset ownership cost.
Many corporate travelers use both. A fractional share or card covers the predictable core, and on-demand charter covers overflow, peak days, international trips and aircraft types the program does not include.
If you need a contractual guarantee of an aircraft on four hours’ notice on any day of the year, a fractional program is designed for exactly that and on-demand charter is not. If you want an aircraft interest on your balance sheet, charter gives you none. Silver Air is a better match when flexibility, aircraft choice and pay-as-you-fly economics matter more than a guarantee bought in advance.
Is Silver Air a fractional program like NetJets?
No. Silver Air is a Part 135 charter operator and aircraft management company. You do not buy a share; you pay per trip. Its Flight Club membership uses a refundable prepaid balance, not fractional ownership.
How much does NetJets cost compared with chartering?
NetJets does not publish share or card prices on its program pages, so get a written quote covering acquisition or lease, monthly fees and hourly rates. Compare that total against what the same annual hours would cost as individual charter trips; Silver Air can price your actual itineraries for the comparison.
Which is safer, NetJets or Silver Air?
Both publish third-party audits: NetJets lists ARGUS Platinum, IS-BAO Stage 3 and BARS Gold; Silver Air lists Wyvern Wingman PRO and IS-BAO, plus an SMS with per-flight risk assessment. Read the current audit documents and confirm the operator on each flight.
How much notice does each need?
NetJets states as little as 4 hours for Share owners and 48 hours for guaranteed card flights. Silver Air quotes on demand; how quickly a specific aircraft can launch depends on its location and crew rest.
Can I choose the specific aircraft?
With Silver Air, yes: you pick from the managed fleet. NetJets assigns an aircraft of the type you bought into.
What are the alternatives to NetJets for someone who doesn’t want to own a share?
Jet cards (including NetJets’ own card), memberships with refundable balances such as Flight Club, and direct on-demand charter from an operator like Silver Air.
Can I use Silver Air alongside a fractional share?
Yes. Many flyers use charter for peak days, extra passengers, international trips or larger cabins than their share covers. Request a charter quote for those trips.
Sources: netjets.com program, card, fractional and safety pages; FAA, Current Aviation Excise Tax Structure and Rates 2026; silverair.com. NetJets facts reflect its public pages as of October 30, 2026 and may change.
Reviewed October 30, 2026 by the Silver Air team.
