Kate Sarsfield/LONDON
Sikorsky plans to extend its Sikorsky Shares fractional ownership programme to California and Florida next year and to Europe in 2001, as the concept of helicopter sharing gains acceptance.
"We hope to have sold our first S-76C+ by the end of the year and to have three aircraft in place next year," says Sikorsky Shares operations manager Kevin Platz.
The project, which is operated by Sikorsky's wholly owned subsidiary Associated Aircraft, took delivery of two core S-76Bs at the beginning of the month and is striving to secure customers in the fledgling scheme.
"We have to familiarise people with helicopter fractional ownership and convince them that this form of transportation will enable them to manage their time and travel needs more effectively," according to Platz.
Unlike fixed wing fractional ownership programmes, under which aircraft are sold inshares, Sikorsky customers purchase flight units, paying in zones for distance travelled. "The cost is therefore determined by the journey's length and not the time spent in flight, making fractional ownership more cost effective, flexible and efficient," says Sikorsky.
A quarter share in an S-76C+, costing $2 million, allows the customer up to 290 flight units, with top-up units available at a set price. Services such as fuel, professional scheduling and dispatch are included in a $29,700 a month management fee.
Although Sikorsky Shares is restricted to the US north-east region initially, the company is confident that the programme will be well received in the "economically prosperous" West Coast and south-east regions. Platz says: "Within five years, we plan to have 10 customer-owned and five core S-76s in the fleet."
Source: Flight International
