JUSTIN WASTNAGE / LONDON
Charter company Multiflight buys corporate aircraft in estimated $60 million cash deal
Multiflight has become the first European customer for Boeing's 737-800 corporate jet derivative, the Boeing Business Jet 2 (BBJ2). The aircraft was delivered from the Boeing-General Electric joint venture's headquarters in Seattle, late last month and is being equipped with a "very, very important person" 19-seat layout at Lufthansa Technik's XXL large jet conversion centre in Hamburg, Germany.
Multiflight, the flight department created by digital television company Pace Micro Technology's founder David Hood, has bought the jet in a cash deal estimated at $60 million, including completion. Multiflight, which currently has a Dassault Falcon 900B and several helicopters in its fleet, will charter out the aircraft when not being used by Hood.
The aircraft will be operated by Executive Jet Charter. Steve Borrowdale, managing director of Multiflight, says that the company has already received "substantial interest" from heads of state and foreign governments for the aircraft, which has a range of 10,000km (5,750nm). Interest has been strong for routes from its Leeds-Bradford, UK, base to Singapore and Australia, says Borrowdale.
Boeing Business Jets delivered its first BBJ2 in March, but has hit delays in getting European Joint Aviation Authorities approval for the installation of auxiliary fuel tanks and head-up display system software.
The BBJ2, which is 5.85m (19.2ft) longer than the original 737-700/800 hybrid BBJ, recently received European certification.
Borrowdale says Multiflight evaluated other long-range aircraft, including the Bombardier Global Express, Gulfstream V and the Airbus A319 Corporate Jetliner, in response to customer demand. "In terms of value for money, taking into account time between overhauls and reliability, the [$49 million BBJ2] seemed like a good buy," says Borrowdale.
Multiflight says that charter interest has "tapered off a little" following 11 September, but it does not expect the downturn to be permanent.
Source: Flight International
