Tailwind Capital has formally branded its Bombardier CRJ200 conversion programme the Hemisphere 200XR.
Delaware-based completion specialists PATS Aircraft is refurbishing the five low-time aircraft that Tailwind has already acquired, and the first one will be delivered in June to Dutch management company Solid Air.
The remaining four will come off the completions line at a rate of approximately one per month, and according to managing partner Joel Hussey, Tailwind has several letters of intent to buy them. He says: “All these aircraft have around 10,000 hours or fewer.”
The baseline Hemisphere 200XR offers a 15-passenger layout and a range of 3,000nm, however the aircraft can be configured for up to 18 passengers with customer selected interior finishes.
CRJ200 conversions are increasingly popular as a way of leapfrogging the long production and completion queues for new business aircraft.
Potential executive jet customers may benefit from the fallout in the fifty-seat regional airline market. For example Flight International reported that last month Indiana-based Chautauqua Airlines announced that it is to begin culling its Bombardier CRJ200 fleet.
Given the difficulty of obtaining new VIP aircraft today, Hussey says there is a possibility that conversions experts may spread their nets wider and start to look at 70- to 90-seat airliners.
Delaware-based completion specialists PATS Aircraft is refurbishing the five low-time aircraft that Tailwind has already acquired, and the first one will be delivered in June to Dutch management company Solid Air.
The remaining four will come off the completions line at a rate of approximately one per month, and according to managing partner Joel Hussey, Tailwind has several letters of intent to buy them. He says: “All these aircraft have around 10,000 hours or fewer.”
The baseline Hemisphere 200XR offers a 15-passenger layout and a range of 3,000nm, however the aircraft can be configured for up to 18 passengers with customer selected interior finishes.
CRJ200 conversions are increasingly popular as a way of leapfrogging the long production and completion queues for new business aircraft.
Potential executive jet customers may benefit from the fallout in the fifty-seat regional airline market. For example Flight International reported that last month Indiana-based Chautauqua Airlines announced that it is to begin culling its Bombardier CRJ200 fleet.
Given the difficulty of obtaining new VIP aircraft today, Hussey says there is a possibility that conversions experts may spread their nets wider and start to look at 70- to 90-seat airliners.
Source: Flight Daily News
