PricewaterhouseCoopers says it has received strong interest from around the world for the purchase of UK charter company Chauffair. The company, which was founded and wholly owned by managing director Nick Probett, went into receivership at the end of January after 20 years’ service.

In November 1999, the company placed the single largest order for private jets ever seen in the UK. In a deal worth a reported US$65 million, Chauffair ordered seven new Citation Excels in a move to phase out the lighter jets in its fleet and replace them with heavier iron.

Just one month earlier, the company had set up the fractional leasing scheme ‘Chauffair Share’, which for a minimum of 50 occupied flying hours per year guaranteed customers the use of existing and future aircraft within a European zone extending from Ireland and Portugal in the west to Poland and Hungary in the East.

Between October 1999 and August 2000, ten members signed up for the scheme and because of this initial uptake, two more Excels were ordered.

In November 2000, US-based Flight Options began offering a service in Europe utilising new Excel aircraft courtesy of an exclusive agreement with the UK charterer. It was agreed that all Excel aircraft would be outfitted in the Flight Options livery.

In April 2001, Chauffair purchased four jets owned by global engineering group Tomkins plc for ‘a fair commercial price’, following allegations of corporate jet misuse at Tomkins. Previously, the four jets had been leased to Chauffair and were used by Tomkins’ directors on a commercial basis in a business arrangement with the company.

Citing a change in trends from ownership to charter and fractional leasing, Probett said at the time: “This sale represents the final curtain for the ownership of corporate jets by public companies. Directors prefer to buy or lease time from us because they get a better deal and better service from the size and flexibility of our fleet.

“It’s going to be an interesting time over the next 18 months. For Chauffair, it is an important step forward to get this Tomkins business out of the picture, because it was definitely muddying the waters.”

Nick Probett was unavailable for comment.