Switzerland-based aircraft owner and management, charter, and completions specialist Comlux sees the Airbus ACJ TwoTwenty’s large cabin size and efficient operating dynamics as a likely winner in the Middle East and says it is determined to turn the business jet into a success in a region that covets space, performance, and panache.
“My goal is to be the number-one operator of the ACJ TwoTwenty in the Middle East,” Comlux executive chairman Richard Gaona told AIN, referring to the aircraft now scheduled to enter service in early 2023. “I cannot share the details, but I hope to be operating at least five to 10 or 15 planes. We are preparing some good news for the Middle East and will announce it at Dubai Airshow.”
He said the aircraft’s 12-hour range would allow charters to carry out 99 percent of their missions.
More Than a Bizjet
“Leave the one percent for once-in-a-lifetime," quipped Gaona. "We operate other traditional aircraft for our clients. We know very well that the ACJ TwoTwenty is more than a traditional bizjet because it is designed to fly 60,000 hours in its lifetime, or 3,000 to 3,500 hours per year. That’s different to the private jet, which only does 300 to 500 hours a year.”
Comlux is no stranger to the charter market, operating a fleet of 20 aircraft today consisting of Boeing 767, 777, and 787 widebodies as well as an ACJ318 and two ACJ319s bizliners.
“We also have an ACJ319neo and an ACJ320neo in completion," he added. Others include 737-500s and one Sukhoi SBJ. In the large category, the company operates four Bombardier Globals: three 6000s and one 6500. In the super-midsize category, its fleet includes a range of Challengers: the 850, 605, and 604; and two Embraer Legacy 650s.
The company’s owned fleet consists of five aircraft, while the rest it manages under charter arrangements. “We have a Boeing 767, two Airbuses, and two Globals that we own directly, and the rest are managed," said Gaona. "We also have a large completions business. We do transactions. We are a specialist in long-range aircraft."
Comlux’s BBJ 777-200LR “Crystal Skye,” owned by Asian charter operator, Crystal AirCruises, is also available for charter. Its BBJ 767-200ER—on display here at the show—will likely prove to be a draw. "We also lease the BBJ767 ‘SkyLady,’ an amazing aircraft that is available for charter. It can fly almost anywhere, for 15 hours nonstop," said Gaona.
Operating long-range aircraft requires what Gaona called a very good flight department, which the company has, he said. “Maybe it’s our Swiss heritage—these are things we don’t subcontract. I don’t subcontract my flight operations department; I want to be sure it is under my control.”
Gaona believes that the strength of his relationship with Airbus, where he spent 17 years of his career, augurs well for the ACJ TwoTwenty in the region. Comlux lays claim as the world’s largest Airbus VIP operator.
“I left Airbus on very good terms,” he said. “Comlux became the number-one client of Airbus VIP. We bought 26 VIP aircraft worldwide...We represented Airbus maybe 40 or 50 times. We are still very good partners. We are partners on the ACJ TwoTwenty, which is an incredible aircraft, and, to me, the future of the ACJ program.”
Middle East passengers travel with lots of baggage, something the ACJ TwoTwenty can carry. “The ACJ TwoTwenty has around 10 cubic meters of luggage space, enough for 40 to 50 bags," he said. "That fits the Middle East traveler profile perfectly.
"The ACJ TwoTwenty can accommodate 16 to 18 passengers with a full bedroom in the back, a bathroom, a shower, plus two more rooms and a kitchen at the front...I say a kitchen, but actually it’s a new galley concept; we can do all this for less operating cost than a Global 7500 or a Gulfstream."
Collaboration with Airbus
Gaona described his partnership with Airbus as very simple.
"We work together," he said. "We said we’ll manage this product exclusively for you. We’ll buy a few, and set up our facility in America to do completions.” Comlux runs completions from its Indianapolis, Indiana, facility in the U.S.
He said Airbus also needed someone who had experience not just with completions, but also operations. “We told them we need to be in the same price range as the Global 7500 and the Gulfstream G650ER,” he said. “By the end of December, I will get the first one. Then the game changer will be in play because I will be able to bring people to my facility and let them touch it. Seeing is believing!”
Earlier this year, Comlux opened a commercial office in DWC, leasing space from Dubai South. “We are looking to expand in VIP widebody aircraft maintenance,” he said. “I’m not able to compete with traditional bizjet OEMs, but I believe that we are best placed to support clients who operate the BBJ in the region. We know the product, and we have the people.
“Hopefully, we will sign an agreement with the airport authorities and establish the right location or base. If this happens, Comlux’s presence in Dubai is going to grow.”
Appointed in June to oversee the Dubai facility, Oliver Hewson has taken over as sales director for the Middle East and Africa. An experienced aviation specialist in the region, he is well placed to drive the company’s growth forward.
“We have experienced a dramatic recovery in charter demand from the Middle East and Africa throughout July, August, and September,” Hewson said. “Our trips have literally spanned the globe in the past three months, from Los Angeles to Tokyo.”
The operations involved a mixture of leisure and government trips, mainly to Europe and the U.S. “We are highly specialized at dispatching ultra-range charters at short notice," added Hewson. "A new trend we have been experiencing is groups of friends, based in Dubai, chartering our VIP airliners for luxury holidays to the Maldives and Seychelles, and we expect to see demand for Mauritius now that it has reopened.”
Gaona is convinced that the ACJ TwoTwenty’s assets, coupled with the Middle East’s unique approach to business aviation, will make for the perfect marriage. “Let the competition begin,” he said. “I am an experienced man and a competitor. My team is going to take the competition on. We are going to compete with a compelling product.”