EBACE Show News - May 21, 2008 - (Page 24)

EBACE 2008 Airbus Corporate Jets on a Roll with A318 Elite François Chazelle, Airbus vp executive and private aviation, has a whale of a success story in the A318 Elite (Booth 7442). He’s working strong markets in Russia and the Middle East, along with Asia and China. Lufthansa Technik, the sole completion center for the A318 Elite, has contracts for eleven aircraft, and it’s discussing up to number 30 with Airbus Corporate Jets. Chazelle is fluent in Russian, and he started his career with Airbus in 2004 selling air- ‘People definitely are continuing to buy larger aircraft,’ says François Chazelle of Airbus. liners in Russia, Asia and the Middle East. Jet Alliance in Austria, among others. A318 Elite forward crew lavatory and two lavatories for the When Richard Gaona left the ACJ business has the largest floor area and cabin volume of any passengers. We’ve flown across the North Atlantic unit to run Comlux in 2007, Chazelle was a nat- large cabin aircraft in its class. It’s powered by two aboard this luxo air yacht, and we can personally ural pick to head the organization. In spite of a 23,300-pounds-thrust CFM56-7B turbofans that attest to its comfort, as can Tom Petters and recent $2 million price increase for single-aisle provide more sprightly airport performance than Jay Salmen of Petters Aviation. Petters liked the Airbus aircraft, including the ACJ family, sales that of the Gulfstream G450. The two additional ride so well aboard the Comlux A318 Elite, he center tanks [ACTs] are mounted aft of the rear bought one for himself to replace his Boeing 727 baggage door, providing 500 cu ft of under-floor executive aircraft. external baggage volume. Chazelle also said that A319 ACJ models are On the main deck, A318 Elite offers 800 sq ft selling well, but sales of larger aircraft are just as of floor space. The Comlux A318 Elite, at this impressive. Recently Airbus sold two A350 airyear’s static display, features a large forward crew craft to private operators and last year it sold an rest and work area, wine cellar, main lounge sec- A380, two A330s and four A340 aircraft to prition and aft private stateroom. The aircraft has a vate operators. —Fred George François Chazelle replaced Richard Gaona at Airbus. remain strong, Chazelle asserts. “People definitely are continuing to buy larger aircraft, especially to put into the charter market,” Chazelle said. Zurich-based Comlux Aviation AG (Booth 475) is averaging 100 hours per month of charter business with its A318 Elite, with no signs of a slow down. “They originally intended to use the aircraft on transatlantic routes and now they’re flying it, with one stop, to Africa and Asia. Passengers don’t mind making the stop because the aircraft is so comfortable,” Chazelle said. Global Jet Concept, a Geneva-based charter operator (Booth 1822), just took delivery of an A318 Elite, and “they’re all smiles,” Chazelle claims. He believes Global Jet will book at least as many charter hours. China’s BAA Jet Management LTD will have an A318 Elite registered in China and based at Shenzhen near Hong Kong, ready for charter just before the Beijing Summer Olympics. Airbus Corporate Jets also has A318 elite orders from the Petters Group in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Jeddah-based National Air Services and 24 Marshall Gets First of Three Citation XLS Jets Cambridge, UK-based Marshall Executive Aviation has added the first of three Citation XLSs to its charter fleet. Appropriately registered G-OMEA, the XLS made its first revenue-earning flight last month, and joins a Citation Bravo in MEA’s fleet. Two more XLSs will be added over the next 18 months to service the company’s growing charter business. Seen here with the new aircraft are: first officer Christian Jorgenson; chief pilot and ops manager Pete Stroud; captain Mike Nichols; first officer John Howes; captain Paul Nottingham; captain Gavin Harland; and charter manager Gemma Trigwell. Parent company Marshall Aerospace is at Booth 785 here. May 21, 2008 www.aviationweek.com/shownews http://www.aviationweek.com/shownews

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of EBACE Show News - May 21, 2008

A318 Elite is on a Roll A Circle Around London P&WC Deliveries Triple Avanti Sees Sales Shift RUAG Eyes Needy Cabins Global Gets Even NICEr Embraer Beefs Up Support Honeywell ‘Virtual VFR’ Signature Europe Grows Gestair Seeks to Double Aero-Dienst Turns 50 Gama Doubles in Size All is Not Woe with Oil Ocean Sky is Aggressive

EBACE Show News - May 21, 2008

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