COLUMBUS, OH June 14, 2000 -- Executive Jet, Inc. today formally inaugurated its new operational headquarters complex at Port Columbus International Airport in Columbus, Ohio. The 200,000-square foot-facility provides a full-range of technical services for Executive Jet, which manages the world’s largest fleet of private business jets for its rapidly growing NetJets® fractional aircraft ownership program.

“Columbus has always been a good home to Executive Jet,” said Richard Santulli, chairman and chief executive officer of Executive Jet, referring to the company’s roots, which date back in Columbus to 1964. “The quality of life for our employees and its central location to the country’s business centers makes this location ideal.”

“Today we have the most advanced customer service center in the business aviation industry. This facility has been designed with our NetJets owners in mind, so that we provide them with the very best service in the world for their aircraft.”

“The officials from the City of Columbus, State of Ohio, the Columbus Airport Authority and the FAA have been exceedingly supportive in our efforts to expand at Port Columbus.”

Santulli and Warren Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Berkshire Hathaway purchased Executive Jet in July 1998) dedicated the operations center to the memory of Jerold B. Friedman, executive vice president of Executive Jet from 1988 to 1999. Friedman died in 1999. A plaque honoring Friedman at the center’s entrance reads “His intelligence, dedication and wisdom played a major role in the success of Executive Jet. The Executive Jet family will always be indebted to Jerry.” Managed by Gilbane Building Company, the construction of the new facility at 4111 Bridgeway Avenue in Columbus, OH, was designed by architects URS Greiner Woodward & Clyde. Executive Jet will continue to maintain its existing facility at 625 N. Hamilton Road for training.

The new complex includes an 80,000 square-foot-hangar with an additional 45,000 square foot support area. The new hangar space is large enough to house 30 aircraft at any given time. The hangar features a 300-foot by 600-foot ramp and a cantilevered roof that provides for easy expansion and unencumbered movement within the hangar. A state-of-the-art Aqueous Film Forming Foam (A.F.F.F.) fire suppression system in the hangar uses infrared for heat and smoke detection and determines where the low-density foam needs to be employed.

Office space in the operations center occupies 75,000 square feet. The eastern exterior is arched to accommodate the Port Columbus radar facility. The state-of-the-art aircraft product delivery area has high ceilings with floating drywall panels to help deaden the noise and reflect indirect lighting. There are 18 alcoves, 3 of which are built to accommodate virtual reality projection cubicles. The artwork in the product delivery area depicts the continents of the world, while the lobby’s artwork depicts “In Flight” by sculptor Michio Ihara.

The facility’s technology center includes uninterruptable power for the center’s computers and a redundant fiber optic link with multiple demarcation points to prevent a single cable failure from disabling computers. The center uses Executive Jet’s highly acclaimed IntelliJet© proprietary custom software, which is the most advanced aircraft management system in the world.

“Executive Jet is enjoying tremendous success because of our NetJets programs,” said Santulli. “As a result, we will continue to hire aggressively in all areas of our business to satisfy the increase in customer demand. We anticipate meeting our expected growth by hiring more than 50 new pilots a month, and support staff, including areas such as customer service, dispatch, maintenance and administration each year.”

NetJets, a concept that Santulli developed and introduced in 1986, has revolutionized the private and business aviation industry. NetJets allows individuals and corporations the opportunity to purchase a fractional interest in a business jet, purchasing only the hours they need, with guaranteed and predictable costs, making NetJets the most responsible way to own a business aircraft today for those companies and individuals who cannot justify the cost of purchasing an entire jet, or need to supplement their existing investment in business aviation.

More than 2,000 successful individuals and companies have been introduced to the benefits of private business aircraft through the NetJets program at a fraction of the cost of whole aircraft ownership. People like Tiger Woods and Pete Sampras, and companies such as Dow Chemical, General Electric, Seagram’s and Texaco are using NetJets to take them where and when they want to go. This year NetJets fractional aircraft owners will fly over 200,000 flights to more than 90 different countries.

Today, the company manages more than 286 aircraft, with more than 428 aircraft on order. In the last 4 years, Executive Jet has ordered 716 new aircraft for its NetJets program totaling more than $13 billion from Boeing, Cessna, Dassault Falcon, Gulfstream and Raytheon.

The market for business jets has experienced tremendous growth over the last five years and the NetJets program has fueled a large part of that growth. NetJets allows individuals and businesses to buy a portion of a specific aircraft based on the number of actual flight hours needed and contract for NetJets to manage the aircraft. Owners are guaranteed use of their aircraft 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with just a few hours advance notice. Fractional aircraft ownership offers all the convenience and applicable tax benefits of owning a multi-million dollar business jet at a fraction of the cost.