Swiss business-aviation services provider PrivatAir is planning to expand its VIP airliner fleet to exploit the explosion in large-jet transport. The Geneva-based company is evaluating VIP versions of the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787, which are due to enter service in the next decade.
To bridge this gap, PrivatAir says it will replace its VIP-configured Boeing Business Jet by the end of the year with a larger-cabin airliner such as a 767 or A330/A340. The new aircraft will join PrivatAir’s 49-seat VIP 757. “This acquisition will see us through until we receive our new airliner,” says chief executive Greg Thomas, who adds that the new aircraft will be equipped with around 50 seats to suit the market demand for this size of aircraft from large group-transport markets such as financial roadshows.
PrivatAir’s US subsidiary, meanwhile, added seven aircraft to its charter and managed fleet in the first quarter.
Source: Flight International
