Executive Jet is set to announce a major new order during the show for the Dassault Falcon 2000 business jet for its Netjets Europe fractional ownership programme.
The deal will mark the second Falcon 2000 order in 10 months for Executive Jet and its first acquisition since July, when the world's largest fractional ownership company was snapped up for $725 million by investor Warren Buffett. Although neither party will disclose the number of aircraft involved, it is likely to be in double figures.
In December 1997, Executive Jet ordered 24 Falcon 2000s for the company's US fractional ownership programme. At that time chairman and founder Richard Santulli revealed that his Montvale, New Jersey-based company may buy up to eight Dassault aircraft annually over the next "four, five or six years".
Santulli, who has been holding discussions with the French manufacturer for several months about Falcon 2000s for Netjets Europe, has also not ruled out the possibility of introducing Falcon 50 and 900 models to the European programme. Netjets Europe, a joint venture between Executive Jet, Zimex Aviation of Switzerland and Air Luxor of Portugal, already operates three Cessna Citation SIIs, two Citation IIIs and two Citation VIIs. According to Executive Jet, its worldwide Netjets fleet totals 100 aircraft, and a further 160 are on order.
The company is also expected to announce at the show an order for an undisclosed number of Raytheon Hawker 800XP medium range business jets for its US and European programmes. Netjets is already a large purchaser of Raytheon aircraft.
Source: Flight International
