Stansted-based Inflite has begun maintenance duties over a brand new Challenger 604 after the company's 'prime corporate customer', P&O, upgraded its former aircraft from a 601-3R. While P&O has its own corporate flight department to operate the aircraft, Inflite will be responsible for the maintenance and handling of the 604.

Inflite's director of aviation Keith Elkington told EBAN: "Bombardier offered P&O extremely good terms to exchange their aeroplane for the extra range that the company always needs.

With a heavy schedule of visiting out-of-the-way shipyards and ports and with businesses in the States, the Far East and Australia, they have a lot of travelling to do."

EBAN asked Elkington whether he believed the range or the comfort was the most significant factors in the purchase of this aircraft. He said: "It was the whole package. The aeroplane is as comfortable as the previous one but certainly the range and the capability of it is an improvement."

While both Challengers are capable of seating nine or 10 passengers, like the 601 before it, the 604 will now be used to its maximum capability. Said Elkington: "They often use the full capacity and its use is widespread throughout the P&O Group. Whoever needs to go somewhere, if it's commercially important, they will be given use of the plane."

When asked about the possibility of P&O's new Challenger being available for charter purposes, Elkington said: "They don't charter it at all. They lease it between their own companies within the Group but that is it. It needs to be available all the time because it is used so extensively. Charter wouldn't be a viable proposition."

Regarding the approximate life-cycle of corporate aircraft, Elkington said: "After about four or five years, companies tend to change to the newer model so that it's not too big a financial hurdle.

"After the 604, whether P&O make another step up is a whole new ball game. Certainly, they'll stick with Bombardier and I would think they'd stay with the 604 for some time now."

Inflite's own responsibilities at its Stansted FBO facility have quite recently changed for the better.

Elkington said: "We have an agreement in place with Universal whereby all the handling at Stansted for Universal is shared with us.

"We also look after a number of other small airlines, and we have other corporate customers.

"We have a new purpose-built facility that has been open for about 18 months, we have passenger lounges, a conference centre, catering, cleaning, laundry services, everything that any aeroplane could possibly need, even an office for the Bombardier area technical representative.

"I think that one of our little gems is the fact that we have our own fleet of fuel trucks. We sell fuel at probably the most competitive price on the entire airport."

P&O, whose main headquarters is in Pall Mall, owned a Hawker 125 previous to its Challenger purchases.