Inside the Competitive Business of Flying Political Candidates | Invesloan.com

With a crowded election calendar ahead, 2026 is shaping up to be a busy year for campaign travel, as state and federal lawmakers — and their challengers — crisscross the country for rallies and fundraisers.

But moving candidates and their staff, donors, press, and, in some cases, armed security, from one stop to the next isn’t as simple as booking a commercial flight. Political travel has become a niche of its own within the aviation world.

One pro in that realm is Gregg Brunson-Pitts, the founder and CEO of Advanced Aviation Team, based in Washington, DC. The firm arranges VIP travel for ultrawealthy families, celebrities, and corporate C-suites, with a particular specialty in campaign travel.

The company competes with commercial airlines, private jet operators, and other specialized political travel firms like UK-based Air Partner — often within the same tight campaign schedules.

Advanced Aviation manages contracts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars over a single election cycle. These logistics can make or break a campaign, as winning often comes down to how fast, cheaply, and visibly candidates can move across battleground states.

Brunson-Pitts said he built a team drawing from inside and outside the aviation industry, bringing together experience in politics, campaign travel, logistics, and private aviation chartering, brokerage, and sales.

Before joining Advanced Aviation, company Vice President Jonathan Tasler, for example, organized the McDonnell Douglas MD-83 chartered by Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign.

Brunson-Pitts previously ran the White House Travel Office for eight years under former President George W. Bush. He said a charter jet carrying the White House press corps, Secret Service personnel, and other staff would almost always fly in tandem with Air Force One.

That experience — blending chartered aircraft, armed security, and government protocols — helped him build a specialty focused on the logistical demands of modern campaigns: “Our approach allows us to support clients affiliated with any party,” he said.

Unlike charter operators or fractional owners such as NetJets or Flexjet, which operate and maintain their own planes, Advanced Aviation Team functions as a broker with access to contracted aircraft.

His team manages every step of political travel — from scheduling flights and sourcing crews to branding planes, coordinating security, and adapting to rapidly changing itineraries.

“We can source smaller private jets, but we can also do group travel for 100 or more people and customize an airliner,” he said. “Not a lot of brokers can do that; that’s what sets us apart.”

Brunson-Pitts said demand for 2026 travel is beginning to emerge as some governors and senators from larger states plan midterm campaigns, but activity ramps up “in earnest after the first of the year.”

The scale of the 2026 elections suggests high demand. All House lawmakers, 35 senators (plus two special Senate elections), 36 governors (and three territorial governors), numerous state offices, and thousands of nationwide state legislative seats will be on the ballot.

“We are hyper-focused on client satisfaction, which means seeing around corners, problem solvers, and being solutions-oriented,” Brunson-Pitts said. “We’re seeing organizations plan earlier and lock in travel support sooner, because once the calendar tightens, capacity disappears quickly.”

Campaigns can rent customized private jets and full-sized jetliners

Brunson-Pitts’ client list spans two decades of election cycles and includes officials from both parties. He has worked with figures such as Doug Emhoff, the husband of former Vice President Kamala Harris, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ 2024 running mate.

He said the firm arranges flights on aircraft ranging from regional jets to full-size airliners: Emhoff traveled on a Bombardier CRJ-200, Walz used a Boeing 757, and former President Joe Biden used a Boeing 737 during his 2020 campaign.

The firm has also worked with candidates Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and “many more.”

Brunson-Pitts said his team may modify aircraft inside and out — from changing seat layouts to adding campaign logos — in coordination with design teams and third-party vendors. Branding can range from simple decals to fully repainted liveries.

“From Labor Day to Election Day, the travel gets really intense,” he said. “So we try to make it a home away from home with WiFi, power, and catering; maybe their favorite food or a meal from their favorite local restaurant.”

Comfort, however, is only part of the challenge. Security is often the most complex variable.

Brunson-Pitts said sitting members of Congress sometimes receive Capitol Police protection, while governors may rely on state details. Most first-time House or Senate candidates, however, hire private security.

A smaller group of high-profile candidates receives Secret Service protection due to national prominence or credible threats. That can dictate everything from airport choice to how close an aircraft can park to a terminal.

Campaigns can spend millions of dollars on travel

While expensive charter flights may frustrate some voters, candidates argue the aircraft offer speed, security, and flexibility that commercial travel can’t match.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, faced criticism earlier this year for using private planes during his coast-to-coast “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, which covered 25 US cities. Campaign finance records show the flights cost more than $221,000.

Sanders defended the decision on Fox News in May, saying the packed rally schedule made flying commercially impractical and that charters were necessary to reach the tens of thousands of voters.

Biden expressed a similar sentiment during his 2008 presidential run. “If I had a plane, I would make 30% more appearances in the state of Iowa, in New Hampshire, in Nevada,” he said, according to ABC News. “That’s where money does make a difference.”

Campaign resources often determine travel options. Well-funded operations can afford charters that allow multiple stops and last-minute schedule changes.

These charters can cost millions of dollars over a campaign season once crews, aircraft rental, fuel, repositioning flights, landing fees, branding, and other expenses are factored in.

Financial documents show the 2020 Biden campaign spent about $2.2 million on private charters. Forbes estimated Vice President JD Vance’s 2024 campaign Boeing 737 — not chartered by Advanced Aviation — likely cost around $30,000 an hour.

Brunson-Pitts said pricing varies by season, passenger count, and onboard experience. He added that the press and the Secret Service typically pay for their own seats.

Charters often bypass crowded terminals for private aircraft service stations with minimal security screening and low crowds, allowing for faster boarding and quicker turnarounds.

Smaller campaigns sometimes rely on less expensive commercial flights, even if they are less efficient. Some candidates do so for the sake of public perception.

Either way, Brunson-Pitts said the logistics for these commercial flyers can be complicated. Candidates often have an entourage of armed guards and sometimes drive directly onto the tarmac to board the plane from their motorcade.

“We usually pick the operator from a pool that is familiar with the process for an armed detail,” he said. “There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes coordination and paperwork, and the pilots need to be aware, but we know how it should flow so there are no day-of surprises.”