Geneva-headquartered Global Jet Concept has brought an Airbus A318 Elite, Gulfstream G450 and a Legacy 600 into charter service. "We also have further aircraft that will join our management prog-ramme including a second brand new Falcon 900 DX, Hawker 900, Gulfstream 200 and Challenger 850," says Leo Bertholet, key account manager charter sales. "Once those aircraft are ready for service we will inform our customers together with other charter companies and brokers."

The current fleet has grown to include a Boeing Business Jet, two Global Expresses and a Global Express XRS, a Global 5000, a Falcon 900 EX EASy and a Gulfstream G450. These are complemented by a Falcon 900 DX, two Falcon 900Cs, a Falcon 50 EX, an Embraer Legacy 600, two Challenger 604s, a Challenger 300 and three Hawker 850 XPs. On average the aircraft chalk up between 80 to 90 hours monthly on charter flights.

Global Jet Concept advises owners on purchases based on individual requirements and on the type of charter or management operations planned. "Of course, we are well aware of the important demand for mid-size and large cabins and our niche type of aircraft remains the large cabin," Bertholet adds.

Aircraft can be new or pre-owned when they are enrolled in the man-agement program but 80 per cent arrive directly from manufacturers. Bertholet says: "Our aircraft are based in Europe and fly all over Europe but also to Asia, to the Middle East and to America. The business demand is both for leisure and business with higher peaks for leisure in summer and in winter. However our clients are mainly businessmen."

Pilots are hired through the human resources department of Global Jet Luxembourg and must have experience on the type of aircraft applied for. Cabin attendants must also have experience in business aviation. "Those recruited will be trained on an annual basis according to Global Jet Concept standards."

Flight attendants are both supervised and checked in-flight by quality control management. Global Jet Concept points out that private aviation is enjoying a peak period but says it does not exclude the possibility that the sector could be affected by any financial slow down. "We pay great attention to the fluctuations of the different markets and base our strategies accordingly," Bertholet says.

"We target all companies working in the banking, insurances and raw material businesses. We are also present in countries such as China and satellite countries of the CIS where there is spectacular mid and long term economical growth."

The company, formed in 1999, started by operating two aircraft but now, nine years later, it is operating almost 50 aircraft, although half of them are flying privately for their owners.