Malone AirCharter is surging in Jacksonville private travel industry

Cristine Kirk, is president and CEO of Malone AirCharter. The private jet charter company is based at Jacksonville International Airport.

COMMENTARY | Soon after Cristine Kirk joined Malone AirCharter as a staff accountant, she told the owners of the family-owned private jet charter company that she was going to buy the Jacksonville business one day.

That was 11 years ago. In 2017 she was promoted to chief financial officer. Then last year in the midst of a global pandemic, at age 39, Kirk did just that. She purchased the private air transportation company at Jacksonville International Airport.

“At first they were like, “Sure. Sure… but years later when [previous owners] Scott and Mindy [Malone] decided they were ready to retire, periodically they started asking me, “You ready?” she said. “In late 2020 I was finally ready. My family helped me to raise capital.”

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