Airshare Taking to Skies Throughout Ryder Cup

A relationship that started three years ago and has grown since the 2022 PGA Championship will be activated in ways perhaps not foreseen when Airshare’s clients attend the Ryder Cup without having to tackle traffic around Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York.

A large group of Airshare’s clients will fly into Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, stay in Manhattan before the Ryder Cup, and fly from Teterboro by private plane to Republic Airport in Farmingdale to the competition. From there, they will take a 10-minute ride to Bethpage — bypassing the expected car jams lining the highways.

“Instead of having to make that drive from Manhattan, or staying out in the Hamptons, you’ll get the opportunity to fly over all that traffic,” said Airshare Chief Marketing Officer Andy Tretiak. “We’re able to demonstrate to them how we’re going to save them time and get more out of the experience.”

Airshare is “Official Private Aviation Provider” of the PGA of America and the Ryder Cup in 2025 and 2029, as well as the PGA Championship and PGA National Club Championship through 2029.

The aviation company first worked with the PGA of America on a program at the 2022 PGA Championship in Tulsa. The idea evolved into an official partnership with an eye toward the Ryder Cup.

“We really are big supporters of golf,” Tretiak said. “We want to see the sport of golf grow. We have lots of customers who play on a regular basis. From a demographic standpoint, it really makes sense.”

As part of the partnership, Airshare also joined with the Southern California, South Florida, Metropolitan (New York) and Southwest PGA Sections in an effort to help promote golf in local communities.

“We are ecstatic to partner with Airshare,” said Jeff Price, PGA of America chief commercial and philanthropy officer, when the partnership was announced earlier this year. “Airshare’s dedication to four of our PGA Sections reflects a shared interest for growing the game of golf in communities across the country.”

From Airshare’s perspective, the section partnerships will grow the opportunity for private travel to golf experiences at high-demand courses and clubs. From there, the company hopes to leverage local partnerships into more national PGA events.

“Regardless of how you feel about certain golfers or certain teams or whatever it may be, everybody loves the Ryder Cup,” Tretiak said. “If you love golf, everybody pays attention to the PGA Championship. That part of it was unique to us within the private aviation space when you looked at what some of our competitors were doing. So that was a way for us to stand out in the sport and really kind of fit together with our strategic plans.”

Airshare was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas. It operates a fleet of about 140 aircraft through its aircraft management, fractional ownership and jet card programs. The company also provides charter services internationally and aircraft maintenance in several locations throughout the country. ​

“If you were going to bet on a sport that we knew was going to capture our audience and in the best way possible, we knew golf was going to be at the top of that list,” Tretiak said. “It wasn’t that we set out to say we have to be in golf, but it was more of golf fits us, it fits our clientele. How can we get involved in the sport and demonstrate support for the sport in a different way than our competitors?”

From Airshare’s vantage point — however far up it may be — allowing clients to experience the Ryder Cup compared to other tentpole events will be part of the attraction.

“I love the patriotic aspects of when the U.S. is competing,” Tretiak said. “Usually when you go to golf tournaments, you’re seeing fans of certain players or just fans of golf and they’re obviously respectful of the game. The element of your country competing in an Olympic-style event is what I’m most looking forward to — feeling that energy of U.S. fans or frankly the fans of the European side and what that environment is like. I think it’s going to be really unique.”