LVMH Services, the corporate flight department of Moët Hennessey Luis Vuitton, has started operating

a brand new Global Express.

Chief pilot Joseph Pouliquen said: “The aircraft will be replacing our Falcon 900EX.

“We felt we needed the upgrade because we do a number of flights from Europe to the Far East, so we required an aircraft which could fly more than 5,500 miles. The company was very happy with the EX, but it was simply a question of range.”

The Global Express will fly around 650 hours a year; 40 per cent of the time for customers and the rest flying people from company headquarters.

Said Pouliquen: “We don’t charter the aircraft out, because it’s so busy flying for the company. The customer flights are usually associated with the Champagne or Cognac, and we’ll go around Europe taking them to visit the wineries and then fly them back home.

“Really one aircraft is not enough for us, so we have to charter a lot. The type of aircraft really depends upon the trip – for example it could be a Falcon 50 for two people flying to Rome. We did consider keeping the EX on and it’s still not sold, so at the moment it continues to be a possibility.”

The Global Express is configured for 12 passengers, Pouliquen said: “From a pilot’s perspective it’s a very nice aircraft – it’s a good performer and fast. I did find the 900 a little more fun to fly and easier to handle, probably because the Global is heavier and more like an airliner.”

Based at Le Bourget, the Global Express is being handled by PrivatAir, although LVMH has its

own hangar there.

“For international flights we use Air Routing. I’d say around 35 per cent of our income comes from the Far East, so we fly there a great deal (places like Japan, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Taipei).”

The aircraft will be enjoyed by employees in all areas of the corporation, including fashion, perfume, luggage and Champagne production.