Aerowest in Germany has taken delivery of a Citation Latitude and says that it is the first of its type in the country. “It was a spontaneous decision, which we took just a few months ago,” charter sales manager Axel Klegien tells EBAN.

“In total we are now operating 10 aircraft, of which four are Sovereigns. The Latitude is an upgrade for us. In terms of range, it's quite similar to the Sovereign, but the cabin is much more spacious. I think it will be performing similar missions to our Sovereigns as well, which is mainly ad hoc charter work for brokers.”

Aerowest operates a floating fleet, especially in the summer, when most of its aircraft are positioned in southern France and Spain. The type rating for pilots is the same as on the Sovereign. “For the brokers it is not different or difficult to sell,” adds Klegien. “Sure, it is a new type of aircraft, but the feedback we have been getting from our customers so far has been good, even though we have only been operating it for a very short time. The brokers are happy. We price the Latitude at a similar price point to our Sovereign, to make it more attractive to brokers.

“Last year was very busy, and we are optimistic that this year will be similar. Lately we have been flying all over the place. We are often in Africa and the Mediterranean because the Sovereign range is perfect for that. Europe is of course a key area, but we can also go to the US and Russia, and we go to the Middle East sometimes too, including Israel and Dubai.”

The company will continue to operate the Sovereigns because they have worked well in the past, and the Latitude will complement its offering.

“We would prefer to grow slowly and steadily rather than too fast. That approach has been successful for us so far and, with our mix of aircraft, we have a great outlook,” Klegien concludes.