Lufthansa Private Jet (LPJ) is bringing the first two Citation XLS+ delivered to Europe into service. Dr Karsten Benz, vp sales and services Europe, Lufthansa, says they will operate alongside two CJ3s and a CJ1+ in providing point-to-point flights among 1,000 destinations in Europe and Russia.

He adds: "Three further CJ1+ are scheduled for delivery to Lufthansa later this year. Two will join the LPJ fleet while the other is to be used within Lufthansa's pilot training programme."

Benz says that LPJ, whose fleet is operated by Swiss PrivateAviation, is also considering the addition of larger aircraft. "The Challenger 850 is an option that we will decide on in coming months."

The XLS+, Benz adds, travels as fast as 441 knots and offers a range of more than 1,858 nm. At maximum takeoff weight it will depart from runways as short as 1,085 metres at standard sea-level conditions. It will also land on runways as short as 823 metres (2,700 feet) at its typical landing weight.

Capt. Marcel Mettenberger, Swiss PrivateAviation head of training, says these aspects are important. "We are flying to airports that might have runways of not much more than 1,500 metres and we need to address these with a safety margin equivalent to airline standards of 1.67 times the runway's length."

The company, he adds, has 20 pilots who have gained experience with airlines including Swiss, Singapore and KLM.

LPJ operates what is describes as seamless travel to onward regional airports for Lufthansa and Swiss long-haul clients. Benz says: "The price depends on distance and includes all charges and costs irrespective of the number of passengers on board the aircraft. Catering and in-flight entertainment are tailored to suit individual requirements."