ONEflight International failed in 2026 because it ran a massive cash-flow crisis caused by an unsustainable business model and inadequate financial controls. It collected money from customers for future flights but couldn’t reliably pay the companies providing those flights. The promise was if customers paid upfront with $100K+ prepaid jet cards they could lock in attractive hourly rates, get access to thousands of private aircraft, and book flights when needed. But ONEflight didn’t operate most of those aircraft so they had to have enough cash available to pay operators when they wanted to fly. Meanwhile, charter flight costs can fluctuate with jet fuel prices, aircraft availability, crew expenses, airport feets, and positioning flights.
