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UK-based FlairJet has agreed to manage a Phenom 300 for Surf Air Europe. It will go into service this month and will be maintained by Embraer Executive Jets.
“I am delighted to take the first step in what will be a long and prosperous relationship as both companies grow our offerings internationally,” says Ray Jones, CEO of Flexjet, parent company of FlairJet. “I see this as a very synergistic relationship with clear mutual benefits.” Flairjet and Flexjet Ltd manage a broad range of private jets, operated under the FlairJet AOC or through Part-NCC operations.
Flairjet has managed the acquisition, accep-tance, and delivery of over 25 Embraer aircraft, and has added 13 Phenoms to its fleet since forming in 2009.
“I am excited to forge this partnership with FlairJet, given that our business objectives to expand European operations on both fronts align significantly,” says Surf Air Europe CEO Simon Talling-Smith. “This is an important move as we work to expand our footprint globally and bring our successful and innovative product from the US to new members in the growing intra-European business travel market.”
Surf Air Europe is a membership airline launched in the US in 2013. It is now commencing operations in Europe with Phenom 300s and PC-12s.
Flexjet has also been expanding in Europe since acquiring FlairJet in August 2016, and Jones says that its fleet is flying really well, and more than expected. “The feedback has been very generous and very positive in all regards,” he states.
“We have priced the aircraft very sensibly and we are picking up a nice amount of trade as a result. They are well appointed compared to other small aircraft at that price point. “We all know that it is beneficial to have a dedicated fleet so that you can call on the aircraft immediately without any incumbencies with regard to release of the aircraft.”
Flexjet will be accelerating its plan for the use of super midsize aircraft: “We still hope to have six to eight Nextants at we get to the end of the year, but as we started to fly it became apparent very quickly that there was a request for us to have super mids,” adds Jones. We know from our installed base in the US how important that is. We will be taking Legacy 600s, fully refurbished, with a very high quality look and feel.”
