Netjets Europe has added two Falcon 2000EX aircraft to its fleet, which form part of its scheduled deliveries for 2004, and has placed an order for 25 Hawker 400XPs to be delivered over three years.

The company’s aim is to replace the entry-level aircraft in its fleet – currently Citation Bravos – with the faster Hawker 400XPs. Director of business development Robert Dranitzke explained: “The Bravo is still a fantastic aircraft and we’re getting six more of them this year (bringing the total to 19), but we made the decision as a company to move towards the 400XP.

“We’re very happy with the Bravo but with the 400XP we see a superior value proposition for our customers. It’s a faster aircraft with a slightly roomier interior and, as we’re not tied to any particular manufacturer, we can constantly assess what’s in the marketplace and make our own decisions accordingly.”

Ten of the seven-seat aircraft are due to be delivered this year, with the remaining 15 following in the next three years. The aircraft will all be Portuguese-registered but they will be operating throughout Europe. “On any given day, any of our aeroplanes can be sitting between Paris, Geneva, Frankfurt or London, for example. They will be flying to the core Western European travel destinations, like Zurich to Manchester or Munich to Madrid – anything within a range of about two-and-a-half hours.”

The 2000EXs have been added to Netjets’ long range programme, joining the Gulfstream GIV-SP and GV. In deciding to add the aircraft to its fleet, which will be joined by a third 2000EX later this year, the company cites increased demand for long range aircraft as a key factor.

The aircraft feature the same configuration as Netjets’ Falcon 2000s, offering club seating at the front, with four seats and a conference table in the rear.

“The US is also adding 2000EXs to its fleet, though we acquired ours first as we had a more pressing need,” said Dranitzke. “These aircraft will be used for worldwide travel. Due to their range, the majority of their flying will probably be in Europe, with some transatlantic flights and travel to the Middle East.”

The latest additions to the fleet follow the company’s trend to acquire large numbers of aircraft as the popularity of its fractional ownership scheme grows.

“We’re thrilled with the market at the moment; we have a lot of demand for our fractional ownership prog-ramme,” commented Dranitzke. “We have seen more and more people sampling the product through our card programmes and we have seen a lot of people purchasing blocks of 25 hours to determine whether or not we can deliver on our promises, then graduating to 100 or 200 hours in the ownership programme.”