German charter company Triple Alpha is to operate the first CJ2 in Europe, after company president Hans Pfieffer recently flew it over from Wichita. The jet replaces a Piper Cheyenne IIIA, sold after cabin pressure problems, which the company managed on behalf of the owner. Pfieffer said: “It was pure coincidence that we took on this CJ2 at the same time as another client sold his Cheyenne, but we are pleased that we can now offer our customers the same number of aircraft but with increased seating capacity.”

Triple Alpha established itself as a charter company around seven years ago, and manages aircraft on behalf of owners, rather than owning. It provides a full wet-lease service, with a crew of 11 pilots including Pfieffer himself.

The CJ2 not only marks an expansion in the company’s business, but also a diversification into the fractional ownership market. The company currently operates two other Citation jets on a lease basis, and shares will now also be sold in one of these, with the other on stand-by as a back-up.

The fractional ownership market has developed in Europe with the arrival of the major operators, but Triple Alpha has had enough faith in the project to order another CJ2, which will arrive in January 2002. Pfieffer explained: “The customer can buy shares in the aircraft and will then pay monthly fees for its maintenance. The fractions will be sold off in quarter and half sizes, which the customer can sell back to us whenever he wishes.”

At present the Triple Alpha will specialise in CJ1 and CJ2s, Pfieffer said that the advantage of the aircraft is that its inexpensive in terms of fuel and route charges, and it can take up to six passengers very comfortably. Currently around 50 per cent of the company’s flights are domestic and the rest European, including France, Italy and the Eastern Bloc. The longer range CJ2 means that the company can now offer a one-stop trans-Atlantic flight to its mainly corporate market.