Airbus has introduced new names, branding and colours for its corporate jets, in a move aimed at reflecting commonality throughout the family and the modernity of the jetliners.
The words "Airbus ACJ" will now precede the model of the airliner from which each corporate jet is derived, with the A318 Elite becoming the Airbus ACJ318; the A319 Corporate becoming the Airbus ACJ319; the A320 Prestige becoming the Airbus ACJ320 and so on throughout the family, including the forthcoming Airbus ACJ350 widebody.
The new colours comprise metallic-blue shading on most of the fuselage and tail, highlighted by flowing curves "that echo the colour schemes often chosen by Airbus corporate jet customers", and are accompanied by a new "Airbus Corporate Jets" logo, said Airbus.
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News of the new branding scheme comes as Airbus gears up for its busiest-ever EBACE. "Particularly this year, the show is going to be very, very big. We have more meetings set ahead of the show than we ever had," said Airbus Corporate Jets vice-president worldwide sales Francois Chazelle.
Europe and the Middle East have traditionally been strong markets for Airbus's corporate jet sales. Fly Comlux, for instance, has placed a new ACJ320 into VIP charter operations from its new base in Bahrain, called Comlux Middle East. But Russia and China are emerging as growth markets, said Chazelle.
Airbus has also fielded some interest for an ACJ321. "The ACJ321 with sharklets will be very interesting as a [Boeing] 757 replacement, as on the commercial side," said Chazelle, who noted that in addition to improved efficiency, the "visual effect" of adding sharklets is particularly appealing to customers. "Expect to see some [sharklets] on the business jet side in 2013," he added.
Source: Flight Daily News
