KATE SARSFIELD / LONDON
Geneva-based company wants to bring "something different" to market as it studies customer demand for block charter
Swiss business aircraft services company PrivatAir is evaluating the introduction of a card-based block charter programme and says a decision on whether to proceed will be made within three months.
"We have been studying the block charter market for some time to establish if it is right for PrivatAir," says chief executive Greg Thomas. "To make it work we have to bring something different to the market or we will simply become another 'wannabe'."
Thomas says the ad hoc charter market is going through a high-supply and low-demand cycle and questions whether enough customers will commit to pre-buying allocated time in a business jet with a single operator when they can "often save money on a single trip by shopping around".
Geneva-based PrivatAir operates a growing fleet of 54 aircraft in the USA and Europe and this month added six large-cabin aircraft to its US-managed charter fleet and one in Europe. Thomas admits the size of the company fleet is a key advantage as well as a motivator for entering the block charter market. He says: "We have a mix of aircraft from the Raytheon Beechjet King Air to the Boeing Business Jet, and around half the fleet are in the large-cabin class and above." These types would be suited to large groups of travellers, including corporations and high net-worth individuals.
PrivatAir says the programme could be launched in Europe, where the block charter card concept is in its infancy, and then the USA. Meanwhile, it is expected to launch at least one more airline shuttle service this year and is in negotiations with several airlines, Thomas says.
Source: Flight International
