GRETNA, Neb. (WOWT) – About a month after the Federal Aviation Administration shut down air travel in the entire country due to a contractor deleting files and causing a system outage of important safety information, a new service is starting in the Omaha area.
It’s a business designed to remove some of the uncertainty of flying and provide reliable ground transportation in this region. Omaha is right in the middle of it. It’s like a company meeting or business conference on wheels.
Tucked away in a rural office park in Gretna not far from Nebraska Crossing is LandJet. It’s a van that can seat eight people. There are TV monitors for conferencing and Zoom meetings, outlets for computers to plug into, and WiFi. They are amenities that allow small companies to conduct business while on the move instead of waiting and wasting time.
“We’ve already had trips to Des Moines, Kansas City, one to Fargo. We’ve had local trips, one to Iowa City,” said LandJet Omaha President Elizabeth Kirchgatter.
The new local headquarters is under construction and resembles a big garage off 220th Street near Highway 6.
Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce Senior Vice President Pete Thompson told 6 News that LandJet Omaha joined the Chamber last month.
“Domestic business travel is projected to reach 96% of pre-pandemic levels in 2023. Many Omaha area businesses have a customer footprint across the Midwest and having more business travel options to engage with customers and employees is an advantage,” said Thompson.
“With COVID, everybody became working at home and multi-tasking became important. So now that things are opening up, they have to get back out there and work and drive and get to their places. With this, you’re not missing out on the hours of the drive. You can still work and maximize your dollar and your company’s dollar,” said Kirchgatter.
Right now, LandJet here in Omaha has three drivers on staff. The driver stays with the van for the entire length of time of a customer’s trip. The cost is a flat fee plus mileage and any extras including overnight stays at hotels.
The long-term goal is to have six vans in the fleet.
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