Business aircraft operator VistaJet has signed a $210 million aircraft-financing deal with ICBC Leasing to fund the acquisition of an undisclosed number of Bombardier Global 6000 long-range business jets.
The deal will pave the way for VistaJet to expedite its fleet expansion programme and exploit the growing demand for luxury business aircraft travel within "fast growth markets" such as China, Africa and Russia. The Swiss operator is preparing to establish point-to-point services within each of these countries over the next 12 months - starting in September with Russia - through commercial agreements with established local operators.
"We have seen extraordinary levels of demand [within these countries] and we've concluded that, along with the growth we are seeing in other markets, we must bring forward our plans for fleet expansion," says VistaJet founder and chief executive Thomas Flohr. VistaJet plans to double its 31-strong fleet by the end of 2015 and will add two Global 6000s to its mainly large cabin and long-range fleet before the end of the year.
Source: Flight International