NetJets Europe unveiled its first Citation Latitude demonstrator aircraft at EBACE last month. On an inaugural flight from London Farnborough to Geneva, president Mark Wilson reaffirmed the company's strong performance over the past 12 months and summarised upcoming aircraft arrivals.

“NetJets was announced as the largest customer for the Citation Latitude back in 2012,” he explains. “We now have 25 firm orders planned and an additional 125 optional orders available. These deliveries cement our position as a market leader in fractional ownership business aviation and reinforce our commitment to continue investing for our clients.

“In addition to the demonstrator aircraft, we will receive three aircraft later this year. The Latitude is proving to be a very popular choice of midsize aircraft for our customers, and we are selling shares at a fast rate.”

NetJets Europe increased its market share in 2015 and has begun 2016 with a 4.9 per cent increase in flights for Q1 year-on-year, with an 8.2 per cent increase in passengers flown during the same period. In May the company announced a new partnership with London Heliport.

Wilson sees great potential in the Latitude: “It is a midsize aircraft but with the amenities of a large cabin jet. All of the materials on board the aircraft are hand selected by our design team, from the ergonomically designed seating through to the high gloss wood veneers and cooled catering storage.

“The aircraft is equipped with Inmarsat's SwiftBroadband, a satellite-based wi-fi system accessible across the globe, while the latest cabin pressurisation system delivers a cabin altitude of less than 6,000 ft at cruising altitude. Additionally, our Latitude will have an IFE manufactured by Gogo, which orchestrates, manages and delivers in-flight data, entertainment and cabin management. Owners will be able to access an entire library of content via iPads on board or via their own device by using the NetJets entertainment app.”

The Latitude has a 1.85 metre stand-up cabin and flat floor. Seating up to eight passengers, it has a range of 2,850 nm or seven hours.