Belgium’s Flying Group has taken delivery of a Citation Excel, which will be mainly based in Antwerp and will complement the company’s Cannes-based Excel.

The company is managing the eight-passenger aircraft on behalf of a private owner, though the majority of its missions will consist of commercial charter flights. Flying Group now operates three Excels, two of which are managed aircraft.

“We have been quite surprised and pleased with the performance of the aircraft and the its popularity is growing faster than the Bravo,” said commercial manager Jurgen Van Campenhout. “Clients have shown their intentions to move up from the Bravo to the Excel, for both fractional ownership and charter flights.”

In addition to the Excels, Flying Group operates a Bravo on its commercial AOC, and a privately-owned Bravo on its fractional scheme.

The company’s 2000EX is going to be replaced by a managed 900EX (which will not be available for charter) and it is expecting delivery of a Challenger 604, which should be available for charter in May. The fleet also boasts a CitationJet, also based in Antwerp, and a managed Falcon 900C.

Van Campenhout anticipates that the Excel will make between 200 and 250 charter flight hours per year.

“We have seen more than 200 movements per year to Cannes, so it’s useful to have two complementary aircraft able to operate in both directions,” he said.

“We have reconsidered the pricing a little bit, so we are positioning the aircraft where they are needed, more or less at cost, in order to enlarge the ‘home base’ area.

“The fractional owner now has the right to choose their home base so, if it’s within 30 minutes flying from Cannes or Antwerp, we would accept another home base, and the aircraft will be positioned free of charge.”

The company has noticed an increase in demand for charter flights over the past year, noting that demand is becoming more constant throughout the year, with fewer

slow periods. Such steady demand

has prompted Flying Group to

expand its operations at Cannes Mandelieu Airport.

“Our clients have real estate and boats in that area, and it’s a popular holiday destination. It’s becoming our second most important base, so we are going to build some new facilities,” said Van Campenhout.

“The plans have been signed and the authorisation has been granted to start building a hangar with a lounge and offices, with an FBO that is separate from the main terminal.

“This is mainly to enlarge our operations in Cannes, where we will be looking for more management aircraft. By the end of this year, we will have the facility to hangar our aircraft and the managed aircraft.

We will also see if we can start our own handling operation there, for our own fleet in the first instance.”

With high expectations for the development at Cannes, Flying Group has ordered three Citation Mustangs, which are scheduled for delivery in 2008. The company is expecting to take delivery of a CJ3 by the end of 2006 and a Falcon 7X will join the fleet in 2008.

Further fleet additions will boost the company’s fractional ownership scheme, provided there is significant demand for the aircraft. “Most of the fractional owners use different aircraft within the fleet. Often those who have a share in a Bravo are asking more and more for the Excel.

“We still hope to add another Citation Excel if an owner of a Bravo opts to upgrade or, if the Bravo remains popular, we might add another one of those to the fleet,”

he concluded.