This may seem shocking or underwhelming, depending on your background. For those of you with smart phones or iPads who already use your systems to map out directions while diving in the car, this will seem hardly worth mention. But for others still new to the idea of something called an app store, this will seem radical indeed.

In fact, despite the amazing advances in computing technology over the past two decades, most pilots are still stuck in the 20th century, or, at best, in the year 2000. Required to bring navigational charts on their flights, pilots usually bring either paper maps or an 18-pound electronic flight bag, which are portable computers designed for pilots and their aviation needs.

Last month the FAA approved a charter airline’s application so its pilots could use an iPad to provide them with their required navigational charts. An application available for download to the iPad for free from iTunes’ app store delivers the charts to the pilot, taking away the need for paper or bulky electronic equipment. With iPads weighing 1.5 pounds, and being strapped to the pilot’s leg during flight, all of a sudden things in the cockpit just got a lot roomier.

While the FAA has only approved the application of one company to use iPads for navigational charts for its private charter planes, two other major commercial airlines are testing the use of iPads for their pilots too. And the developer of the application used on the iPad is developing more applications for use on other tablet computers as well. With this key initial approval, tablet computers could become the standard of the charter flight, and even of the larger commercial airline, industry, assisting not only with charts, but in training and more.

The Big Story: Jet charter services help evacuate stranded foreign nationals from Libya

Charter airplanes assist tremendously in times of emergency, going exactly where they are needed and ensuring the safe delivery or transport of people and critical supplies. In the recent chaos in Libya, with thousands of foreign nationals stranded in the country, jet charter services have been essential in evacuating citizens from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, among others.

Industry Expansion: The business climate for corporate jet rental and general jet charter services improves in the U.S., booms in other parts of the world

As the United States and the rest of the world recover from the recent economic downturn, there are signs that the rate of corporate jet rental is increasing. As The Wall Street Journal and the National Business Aviation Association note, the industry appears to be starting a slow, but steady recovery in North America.

Meanwhile, in emerging markets that have recovered much more quickly from the global recession than has the U.S., the jet charter industry is expanding rapidly. In the United Arab Emirates, for example, jet charter brokers have posted record revenue growth, with one company experiencing a 120 percent growth rate from January 2010 to January 2011.

China has also experienced rapid growth in its jet charter services industry, despite a difficult regulatory environment. With a growing wealthy class in China looking for high quality services, some Chinese are shelling out tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars to charter a plane for either domestic destinations or abroad. This expansion is highlighted nicely by a report from the end of January about the first-ever direct charter flight from China to Hawaii, hopefully the start of many more flights to come.

For Rest of the Year: Rising oil prices could increase costs, damage business

According to Britain’s Independent, one jet charter broker has already increased fees on passengers due to rising oil prices stemming from the recent unrest in Libya and the greater Middle East. Could this damage the corporate jet rental business and its attempts to recover? Check back in with us throughout the year to see how this and other stories in the jet charter services industry play out.

Understandably, the world of private chartered flights has taken a downturn in the public eye. But still, there is an argument in defense of the economical aspects of private flights. CNN reported in April 2009 the many advantages for business to opt for private flights versus commercial airlines.

Founder of private jet company Jetpool Ryan Stone says, “A private jet can be a way to tighten the belt, if it is done properly. You have to do the analysis. In many cases, the results would surprise people.”

Maersk Air is committed to assisting all customers with finding the most convenient, comfortable, and affordable jet charter services available.