Private Air Expert

Nathan W. McKelvey
Chief Executive Officer, President and Founder

Nathan W. McKelvey, developed the idea for CharterAuction while running another successful private jet startup, Aviation One, Massachusetts’ premier private aircraft management company. It had over five aircraft in its fleet of Citation jets and Seneca V twin-engine aircraft. At Aviation One, Nate was responsible for developing and managing the private aviation industry’s first fractional ownership company offering both piston and jet aircraft within one program.

While learning the aviation industry at Aviation One and computer skills at the Harvard University Extension and Northeastern University, Nate quickly realized how inefficiently the charter business was operating. Starting in 1999 with an initial investment of less than $300,000, he developed software that could connect hundreds of operators and thousands of aircraft through a centralized database to make more efficient use of the aircraft. He launched LegFind.com, the first wholesale private jet charter auction web site and the initial division of CharterAuction. He grew the network of participating operators from zero to over 750 in just over three years.

In 2000, Nate founded and was named President of CharterAuction.com, the first wholesale charter auction web site open to the public. The company has grown in revenues from $1.2M in 2001, to $7M in 2002 and is projected to be astronomical in 2003.

Nate holds a BA in Economics from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and has completed several graduate level Computer Science Courses at Northeastern University and Harvard University.

A licensed pilot and aviator, Nate and his family reside in Hingham, Massachusetts.