From its base in Paderborn, central Germany, operator Elbe Air says only 20 per cent

of vip charter customers are from its homeland. A massive 70 per cent can be found

in the UK and the rest in France and beyond.

There are two main reasons for this, says marketing manager Frank Goblet. “Firstly, we have a small team of people and no big over-heads, which means our

prices are very competitive. We often find that our quotes come in cheaper than those of British operators.

“Secondly, the French and English seem more used to business charters than the Germans are.”

Elbe Air began commercial operations in 1997 with a Falcon 20 and has since added two more of the same model. One aircraft, equipped with a big cargo door, is deployed purely for freight missions

and the other two are used for vip purposes.

Said Goblet: “We’re the only operator of Falcon 20s in Germany and there aren’t many in Europe any more,

so it’s a good niche market

for us. We carry all kinds of ‘speed cargo’ – automotive parts, oil drilling equipment and any freight that has to be delivered immediately.”

Elbe claims a reaction time of 45 to 60 minutes before it takes off for ad hoc freight work and says that the speed of the 20 is very important in picking up extra business.

Goblet explained: “On long-range sectors like Germany-Portugal or UK-Portugal, we are a popular option for businesses because for them, the time is more important than the money. Obviously

a turboprop would be

cheaper but it’s going to take you much longer.

“Also, with the big cargo door, we are able to carry up to 2.5 tonnes and 11 cubic metres.”

Elbe says there isn’t a lot

of competition in this sector but admits that if a company needs more volume size, it might plump for a Fokker 27

or Short. The longest trips

Elbe has done, were to Bhutan and Pakistan.

On the vip side, Elbe carries out roadshows for rock bands and musicians. Asked about the general behaviour of rockstars onboard the company’s aircraft, Goblet had no bad words to say. “I’ve not experienced rockstars making problems on aircraft,” he said, “if they’re out of the range of the Press, then they’re quite normal and easy to handle.”

Elbe says business has been steady these past few years, despite the weak global economy. “We do not feel it

so much,” said Goblet, “because our clients are top managers who have to promote their companies and push their business even harder than in good times. Obviously that’s good for us.”

Elbe is now interested in adding another aircraft to serve the vip market but

will not release any more details until it has chosen the right one for its purposes. In terms of facilities, the comp-any says it is happy at the

small Paderborn Airport, with all the office and hangar

space it needs.