Solojet Aviacao is to introduce the first Citation X for fractional operations in Brazil. The aircraft has already arrived at its base at Jundiaí airport to join the fractional ownership Solojet Shares programme. The company currently has four Hawker 400XP aircraft in the programme and now the idea is to continue with both models. The Citation X will undergo a complete retrofit programme and be painted in the Solojet Shares colours.

At the end of 2023, ANAC approved Solojet as a company qualified to operate shared ownership aircraft. It becomes only the second company in the country to receive this certification.

"We are very happy to celebrate the approval with the arrival of another aircraft, even more so with the Citation X, which is a perfect model for international travel and for which we are approved for maintenance. Since the change in aircraft sharing legislation, we have invested in this segment and demand continues to grow," says CEO André Bernstein.

The Solojet Shares aircraft sharing programme allows clients to purchase a share of a Hawker 400, with prices starting at $550,000 (25 per cent ownership interest). In this model, the fixed costs of the aircraft are divided between four shareholder owners, and each one also pays the operating costs of their own flights.

"The great advantage of our programme, in relation to what exists in the Brazilian market, is the chosen aircraft model, with better cost-benefit, and the support structure that Solojet offers with maintenance, management, hangaring, interior renovation and much more," says Bernstein.

A survey by the Brazilian General Aviation Association reveals that between June last year and this year, the fleet of turboprop aircraft grew by a surprising 12.7 per cent due to the expansion of Brazilian agribusiness during this period. Furthermore, in May 2023, the general aviation sector handled 79,900 landings and take offs, totalling 370,000 in the year, according to data from the Air Navigation Management Center.