Switzerland’s Club Airways has begun a regular business jet service between Geneva and London City Airport, with the aid of a chartered Citation Bravo.

Two round trips are carried out each day of the week, with the first leaving Geneva at 08:30 and arriving in London at 09:30, and the second leaving London at 17:00 and arriving in Geneva at 18:00. The cost is £719 return or 1,023 euros.

In spite of the termination of this link in October by Swiss International Airlines, sales and marketing director Raphael Garcia told EBAN it should be a very fruitful operation. He said: “We have had huge interest for this service and I would say a good 90 per cent of our passengers will be using it for work in London.

“Within the first month, we hope to have a 50 per cent load factor which means four passengers per leg; and by the end of the second

month, we hope to be up to six. We are also planning to have a bigger aircraft available for the service, which will bring more comfort to

the passengers.”

The flights are operating from the private aviation terminal in Geneva, Terminal C-3, and the Jet Centre at London City.

In addition, Club Airways is offering its members flights to Cannes on Friday evenings, returning to Geneva on Sunday evenings, and also twice daily flights to Paris le Bourget using Lear 45s and Citation Bravos. A regular service into the French Riviera is currently being considered.

The company doesn’t have a fleet of its own but instead charters aircraft from the likes of Jet Aviation. Since its inception five months ago, Club Airways says it has carried out more than 500 flights connecting Paris, London, Cannes and Olbia for more than 300 members.