Luxembird has acquired its first aircraft, a Pilatus PC-12, to launch a fractional ownership business for trips across central Europe.

Skytation, which manages the aircraft, chose the aeroplane for its range and payload. General manager Joel Hencks, who is also operations director for Luxembird, told EBAN: "We liked its flexibility. It allows us to carry up to six passengers with a large amount of baggage comfortably, and we can accommodate small groups of two or three if required."

Hencks confirmed the company's plans to acquire a second aircraft and said it had already seen interest from other clients wanting to take part in the fractional ownership scheme.

"The idea of this project was to create a Luxembourg-based company, run by people living in Luxembourg, for Luxembourg clients," he said.

"Most of the flights will last about two hours and will cover Scandinavia, Spain, Switzerland and other parts of Europe. The main reason for embarking on this venture was to enable business people to avoid the usual delays of commercial travel."