Samsung, the global electronics giant, has recently completed a short business tour of Europe in the company's Global Express. After a thirteen hour and twenty minute flight from the South Korean capital, Seoul, to London Stansted, EBAN caught up with chief pilot Won Tae Chung at Universal's Stansted facility.

Chung said: "We bought the Global Express in March as a replacement for the company's previous aircraft, a Falcon 900. We chose it because of the long distances involved in flying between Korea and the western world. If you can fly direct, it is clearly going to be more comfortable for your staff and clients."

Despite the occasional teething problem - like the water freezing at high altitude, which has since been rectified - Chung says he is very impressed with the rangiest of Bombardier's business jet offerings. He said: "The GV, for example, would have also been compatible with our needs but I believe the Global Express is the best available business aircraft. It has a lot of advanced instruments."

Despite its ability to carry 14 passengers at any one time, Chung says the optimum comfortable number for a long distance flight is six or seven.

And the verdict from Samsung? "They are pretty well satisfied," said Chung with just a hint of understatement.

After the initial 5,800nm flight from Seoul to London, Chung flew Samsung executives to meetings in Amsterdam, Barcelona and then returned them to the company's South Korean headquarters.

Samsung's Global Express is due to enter the factory in November for an upgrade of pilot systems. "After this," said Chung, "it will be more like a 747-400".

Won Tae Chung previously worked for Korean Airlines until he joined Samsung in 1996. He flew Samsung's Falcon 900 before the arrival of the Global Express.