NetJets Europe has brought forward to 2008 delivery of 39 new business aircraft to keep pace the burgeoning demand for its fractional ownership and charter card programmes. The move comes as the Lisbon, Portugal-based operator announces record growth and profits for 2007.
The projected deliveries will boost NetJets fleet by nearly a third, to 174 aircraft by the end of the year and will mark the introduction of four new business jet types to the portfolio - the Hawker 750, Hawker 4000, Dassault Falcon 2000LX and Falcon 7X.
NetJets says its owners took 73,622 flights in 2007 − equivalent to more than 200 flights a day, and an increase of more than 17% compared with 2006. "Flight numbers have increased by 55% since 2005, making [NetJets] the fastest-growing aviation company in Europe," says the company, adding that "customer numbers have now surpassed the 1,500 mark".
NetJets also doubled its net profit last year, marking the second consecutive year of profitability for the company. NetJets Europe chairman Mark Booth says: "This rapid growth shows that more and more companies and private individuals are choosing the benefits of flying when they want, from where they want, without the delays and hassle of commercial aviation.
"NetJets' biggest markets remain France, Switzerland and the UK, however there has been rapid growth in increasingly important territories including central & eastern Europe, Germany and Russia."
Source: FlightGlobal.com
