UK business aviation services provider SaxonAir has increased its fleet of business jets and helicopters and established a second base at London Biggin Hill Airport to support its growing operation. This expansion comes as the company also seeks to boost its sustainability credentials and achieve its net-zero carbon target by 2030.
Speaking today at a Biggin Hill event, SaxonAir CEO Alex Durand said the company has added four light jets—a Bombardier Learjet 40, 45, and 75, as well as a Cessna Citation CJ1—to its fixed-wing fleet. They join a pair of Embraer Phenom 300s—with a third set to join the fleet midyear—and six turbine helicopters.
“We are thrilled to be growing again after such a turbulent period brought on by the effects of Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic,” Durand said.
Twelve months ago, independent UK-based charter operators such as SaxonAir were grappling with crippling restrictions and burdensome administration thanks to Brexit and Covid, Durand noted. The slide in revenue early in the pandemic prompted SaxonAir to sell its two owned business jets—a Citation Mustang and Hawker 900—to limit its financial exposure. It is now focused purely on managed business jets.
“It has been tough period, but we have got through it and are now focusing on the future with renewed vigor,” Durand added.
According to SaxonAir, the easing of Covid travel restrictions across Europe has boosted demand for its fleet. “When a country opens up, the calls come in,” said Durand.
The pandemic has seen a shift in travel patterns and customers “with the bulk of the demand coming from leisure and private travelers—many using business aircraft for the first time to limit their exposure to the virus,” he added.
SaxonAir is now predicting a boom in business travel “as executives replace Zoom calls with more valuable face-to-face meetings,” said Durand.
While SaxonAir’s business grows, the company remains focused on reducing its carbon footprint, with Durand noting that the environment remains front and center of strategy.
Last year, SaxonAir embarked on a program to upgrade and make greener its Klyne Business Aviation Centre headquarters at Norwich Airport in eastern England. This initiative included introducing electric car charging points and a ride-sharing program for its 50-plus employees. It also teamed with emissions partner Gone West to plant trees in the UK for every business jet and helicopter flight operated.
SaxonAir also endorses Nebo Air. Based in nearby Beccles, Suffolk, Nebo has ambitions to be the world’s first sustainable, cost-effective “micro airline” with zero CO2 emissions using the newly UK CAA-certified all-electric Pipistrel Velis.
“Our aim is for our base in Norwich to be an operational hub for electric aircraft in the UK, serving the current generation of aircraft and the new genre of electric vertical take off and landing models that are set to enter service over the next few years,” said Durand.
SaxonAir plans to generate power for electric charging points off-grid via solar panels positioned across its Norwich site, where it is also seeking to introduce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Durand said SAF is an important factor in the industry’s drive towards net-zero, but the take-up is fairly low, largely due to the lack of availability and its high price.
“We are confident that owners and operators will purchase SAF—and consequently drive down CO2 emissions—if it is competitively priced and widely available,” Durand concluded.