Helijet of Düsseldorf, Germany, says that the Learjet 60 it added to its fleet in the summer for a private owner is now able to perform unrestricted charter after it was added to the company AOC at the end of November. Its fleet previously comprised four Sikorsky helicopters, and this latest jet offers midsize capacity for up to seven passengers. According to md Matthias Schloesser the Learjet is 'filling the gap' between the short distance of a helicopter and longer distance jets.

Schloesser believes the aircraft is a good investment when weighed up against the charter rate it is expected to generate: “We had been operating helicopters, and a helicopter is for short range travel. With the Learjet 60 we offer an aircraft with about the same seat capacity as the helicopter, but it provides a medium range of operation. We have clients that are using the helicopter, but for certain distances the helicopter is too slow and too expensive.”

Before it joined the Helijet AOC the aircraft was used solely for a private owner. “We can now offer a mix of sectors for the owner along with third party charter,” Schloesser explains. “We had our first charter clients this month, and we assume that there will be a significant increase in charter from January 1st, as we are now actively marketing the aircraft and its completely refurbished interior.”

Schloesser speaks highly of the work which was completed on the aircraft's interior by an authorised Learjet centre, and believes that the refurbishment will be an important factor in attracting future clients.