Monacair’s latest acquisition, a Eurocopter EC120B, is already proving popular with clients around its bases in Monaco and Nice, and it is planning to expand its fleet further with an EC155B1 later this year.

The company bought the helicopter to meet the increasing demand for short vip charter

flights, as well as operating flights for the family and friends of the Prince

of Monaco.

Salim Zeghdar, Monacair’s general manager, told EBAN: “We are respon-sible for the helicopter transfers of the Prince of Monaco’s family. We are the official carrier to the palace.\r

“The EC120B will be used for the guests of the Prince and government. For the Prince himself we only use the twin-engine helicopter, the Dauphin AS365N,” he said.

“Recently we flew to Turin, Italy,

for the Olympic Committee of Monaco,” he said. “We flew the Prince in the Dauphin and the delegation in the EC120B.”

Monacair, which specialises in vip charter flights, believes that the EC120B was the ideal addition to its fleet. Zeghdar explains: “We have a Dauphin and an AS350B1, and we were looking for a smaller helicopter because most of our charters are for two to three people. We bought it because it’s the most economic and suitable helicopter for our needs.

“It’s small and very quiet, inside and out, which is very important

for the environment. It’s also very economical to maintain and

fuel,” said Zeghdar. “The high visibility is also very important, as we use the helicopter for sightseeing tours of Monaco.”

The company does not operate scheduled flights, which in Zeghdar’s opinion, affords it the freedom to take to the sky at short notice. “People can call us and request a helicopter to travel to their chosen destination. We fly to Italy, Switzerland and France, including the popular destinations of Lyon, Marseilles, St Tropez, Nice

and Cannes. Our maximum flying time is two hours 50 minutes, to Rome for example,” said Zeghdar.

“During the winter we fly to the main ski destinations and flights for two passengers are in high demand. The EC120B is ideal for these flights.

It is also very popular with golfers, as

it has enough space to fit two passengers as well as their golf

clubs,” he added.

“For me it’s a safe aircraft with good visibility. We maintain it in vip condition, with leather seats and air conditioning,” said Zeghdar. “However, sometimes it is not the most suitable helicopter for flying

in the mountains, as it doesn’t have a lot of power.”

Monacair is expecting between 250 and 300 hours of charter flights per year, which will increase its combined fleet flight hours to more than 900 per year. The company is hoping to buy an EC155B1, the latest twin-turbine helicopter in the Dauphin series, by the end of the summer.