Positioned between the aircraft, upper management, crew, clients and the authorities is business aviation's operations manager. Some postholders occupy themselves principally with ground ops, while others have a hand in the flight.

The online charter marketplace Avinode is predicting that the super midsize sector will be the worst affected of all by a downturn in European air charter during 2013.

Charter operators in the maturing European and evolving Middle East markets are targeting the luxury and long range client while broadening and deepening their short and medium range appeal.