Flexjet plans to add 22 business jets to its mid- and super-midsized fleet by the end of 2023, bringing its global fleet to 270 aircraft, the company said on Tuesday. Its current fleet includes the Embraer Phenom 300 and Praetor 500 and 600, Bombardier Challenger 350 and 3500, and Gulfstream G450 and G650. To support its growing fleet, Flexjet said, it plans to hire 1,400 employees in 2023, including 388 pilots and 338 maintenance technicians.
This year, Flexjet added Embraer’s Praetor 600 to its North American fleet, after two years of operations in Europe and seven years of operating the Praetor 500 and its predecessor, the Legacy 450. Flexjet has also incorporated the Bombardier Challenger 3500 into its super-midsized private jet offering. “The aircraft available to travelers within this offering present mission versatility that is unmatched by any other private aviation provider,” said D.J. Hanlon, Flexjet executive v-p, sales. Flexjet fractional owners can avail themselves of the company’s Red Label program, which features pilots assigned to a specific aircraft and LXi custom cabin interiors.
Since 2020, the Praetor 600 has been the backbone of the Europe fleet for Flexjet, which was the launch fleet customer for the aircraft. The Praetor 600 seats nine passengers and has a range of 4,018 nm, a cabin altitude of 5,800 feet at 45,000 feet, and a high-speed cruise of 466 knots. The fly-by-wire flight controls include an active turbulence reduction feature. Flexjet’s new Bombardier Challenger 3500 super-midsize aircraft feature Nuage seating for nine passengers, voice-controlled cabin management, wireless chargers, and the only 24-inch, 4K displays in its class. Those aircraft have a range of 3,200 nm and a cabin altitude of 4,850 feet at an operating altitude of 41,000 feet.