Three
years after launching in the USA, VistaJet – one of the world’s largest charter
operators – plans to increase its N-registered fleet of 11 to at least 16 in
the “next few months” to reflect demand in the booming Stateside market.
The
company says it tripled its customers and increased new programme hours by
almost 150% in the third quarter, compared with the same period in 2016.
US-originated flights now represent around a quarter of all VistaJet departures,
Ron Silverman, president of VistaJet’s US operation, said at a press event this
morning.
However,
the additional aircraft will be “reallocated” from the rest of the VistaJet
inventory. The Malta-headquartered company has no plans to add to its overall
fleet of 72 Bombardier Global and Challenger aircraft until at least 2019.
In
September, VistaJet boosted its balance sheet by raising $200 million from
private equity firm Rhone Capital. While the investment – made in return for a
roughly 7.5% stake in the company – will not be used directly for new aircraft,
Silverman says that “it gives us ready capital if a situation adventageous to
the VistaJet model arises”.
While
VistaJet’s Maltese-registered aircraft can operate international flights to and
from the USA, its N-registered aircraft are required for domestic journeys.
The
company, founded by Thomas Flohr in 2004, is taking a Global 5000 on a tour of
six US cities between 16-23 October in a sales and marketing effort. VistaJet
says its silver and red-liveried fleet and its business model where customers
pay only for the hours they fly sets it apart from rivals.
To
help fill empty legs, the company has launched an app-based booking platform,
where members, in exchange for a membership fee, can book rides at discount
rates on positioning flights or when an aircraft is idle for several days at an
airport. About a third of VistaJet’s fleet is empty at any time, which Flohr
says is better than the industry average of 40% but still “isn’t an efficient
use of our fleet”.
(Evangle Luo of TTFLY shared with you)
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