Emerging European operator JetHouse has added a Challenger 605 to its fleet. Director Hervé Laitat was formerly CEO of Abelag, later Luxaviation, and the aircraft owner decided to follow him to his new venture.

“When I told him I was going to set up my own AOC with the values and vision that I had in mind, he said that if I made it happen he would certainly follow, which he did,” Laitat reveals. “I know the crew because at the time I hired them. I transposed over to JetHouse, we placed the aircraft and it started flying at the beginning of January.

“It’s a great aircraft for many popular city pairs. It is a good mix – large cabin and also good range, but not as pricey as a larger jet like a Global 6000 or Falcon 7X. Paris-Middle East and London-Middle East are likely routes, into western Africa too. It’s a very versatile model, it’s reliable and you can accommodate more than 10 people if needed. It’s a good balance between the price, the range and the cabin size. It complements the 7X that we have started operations with, and in the first 10 days we managed more than 30 hours of charter, so I’m happy with that.”

The idea of JetHouse is to facilitate point-to-point travel, so it ensures that it crews appropriately. “We can land in Abu Dhabi, wait one or two days and then carry on to Dubai, the Maldives, Kigali et cetera,” Laitat continues. “I work with several brokers to find the best solution. They might be working on empty legs, for example, but with this you have to be quite reactive. Sometimes we have a flight on a Friday at 2200 and the crew are used to that. JetHouse is a new company and we are all dedicated. When we are able to offer a good price and make it work for the client, it brings a sense of happiness. We are a start-up with experienced entrepreneur-minded people, so there’s a lot of excitement and we are passionate about our service. The Challenger is a great addition to the company.”

JetHouse’s Maltese AOC was awarded in February last year. The team didn’t want to rush, so it was happy to take time in forming its fleet, having sub-chartered for a time for various clients. Says Laitat: “It was going quite fast getting the AOC, so we knew we had to stabilise. We are currently applying for certificates and permits so that we have everything we need, including a Part 129 to fly to the US. We needed to make sure that all the systems were working including the reporting that allows us to provide aircraft owners with reliable and transparent data. If you ask an aircraft owner, most of them are disappointed by the quality of data provided by their operators. We wanted to offer a robust solution from the start. Fortunately we had the financial means; it is difficult to break even with only one aircraft. We are happy that we took the time to consolidate. We have come up with a working structure that maximises efficiency, and so now we are waiting for more.”

The company is in discussions for two more Bombardier aircraft. Having been at Luxaviation/Abelag for 20 years, Laitat was CEO and accountable manager. He left all this to create his own business. Abelag initially had a small structure and then it grew quickly as part of Luxaviation. “With JetHouse we are going back to basics, really positioning ourselves as a family office for aviation. Maybe I am not in the best position to serve a 50,000-employee company or a bank and look after their aircraft. What works for us is collaborating with entrepreneurs, people that have control over their aircraft and who like to ask questions and care about our advice, helping them to preserve the value of the aircraft over time.

“They like to be pampered, and it could be that you are looking after the family too. People value what we give, and the care. That’s how we want to grow – without compromising. We give it everything to look after our customers, and we look to build long-term relationships. I’m excited to apply this and choose everyone we work with.”

He expects to cap the fleet at a ‘magic number’, which may be 12 to 15 aircraft. “I firmly believe that if you grow beyond this it’s a matter of time before you start disappointing people. It’s such an expensive business so we need to get it right. It’s not all about having the biggest fleet; we want to be boutique. We are seeking a manageable size, and we want to have fun too.”