German charter firm Eisele Flugdienst (EFD) plans to begin operating two CJ3 aircraft at the end of 2006. It signed the contract for their purchase at the NBAA convention held in Las Vegas last year. Both aeroplanes are due to be delivered towards the end of next year.

EFD owner and md Fred Eisele claims the acquisition will make the company one of the first CJ3 operators in Germany. It will also enable the firm to accrue up to 8,500 CJ3 flight hours and provide the company with “significant exper-ience in the CJ range,” he added.

EFD, which began operating in 1997, currently operates a CitationJet, a CJ1 and a CJ2, which Eisele describes as “the perfect aircraft for us” because of their reliability, flexibility and comfort.

“However, there is a big difference between the CJ3 and the CJ2,” Eisele said. “It is more flexible, faster and has a better range than the CJ2; it also allows you to fly longer distances in a facing headwind,” he stated.

Another advantage of the CJ3 is that it comes with a side-facing seat, which is interchangeable with part of the refreshment centre. This provides the option to insert one extra seat within 30 minutes and allow them to carry up to eight passengers at a time. This is a significant advantage for attracting clients who want to use the aircraft as efficiently as possible, while still offering the option of more space for an executive client with only three to four passengers.

“When customers are comfortable with us and with the service we offer, they don’t like being referred to another company for a particular service. They want to stay with us and the CJ3 allows us to compete with those charter operators who are flying Citation Vs, for example,” Eisele explained.

The CJ3s will undergo some adjustments to the communication systems to comply with the JAR OPS regulations governing aircraft over 5.7 tonnes. This includes the installation of flight data and voice recorders.

Both CJ3s will operate as charter aircraft and will be based at Stuttgart. They will typically fly to destinations such as Finland, Russia, Turkey, Lithuania, Sweden and Norway.

EFD has experienced 25 per cent growth since 2004 and its md expects this growth to continue for the majority of German charter operators.

Part of the company’s growth plans is to acquire an aeroplane with a stand-up cabin, but Eisele said it would need an investor to make it happen. Its main focus for the future is to develop a ‘one type rating’ aircraft, which Eisele believes would result in fewer mistakes, better control and a lighter workload for the pilot.

Despite a constant pressure to respond to customer demand for faster, more comfortable aircraft, he remains confident in the company’s future.\r

“In order to keep our image we have to change our aircraft. To change every five years to a new standard, as we do, is really something,” he concluded.