Luxaviation UK has added a Bombardier Global 6000 to its fleet and unveiled the aircraft today at the Air Charter Expo at London Biggin Hill Airport. The large-cabin jet is owned by a client who has had an Embraer Phenom 300 under management with the company for 10 years and is keeping both aircraft to have options for both intra-European and intercontinental trips.
According to Luxaviation UK CEO George Galanopoulos, providing the right advice is the key to encouraging newcomers to continue as private aviation customers. His team worked closely with the Phenom 300 owner to evaluate other options, placing an emphasis on “finding the right aircraft for the customer rather than the right one for the operator.”
The client had first considered options in the Dassault Falcon family and expanded his choices after re-evaluating operating economics and cabin size, Galanopoulos told AIN. He also considered a Gulfstream G550 before settling on the 12-passenger, 6,000-nm Global 6000.
Luxaviation UK, which now has 20 aircraft in its managed and charter fleet, is part of the wider Luxaviation fleet of more than 400. The group has seven European air operator certificates, which Galanopoulos said gives flexibility to work around some of the Brexit restrictions. More than 10% of the Luxaviation fleet is now registered in San Marino, which Galanopoulos said is beneficial for owners mainly flying in and out of Europe, but not so helpful for charter operations within the continent.
According to Galanopoulos, the number of aircraft on the UK register has declined markedly in recent years, mainly due to the operational problems posed by Brexit. He added that concerns among high-net-worth individuals about anticipated wealth tax changes from the UK's new Labour government have also prompted more recent departures.
Some of Luxaviation’s aircraft owners are flying between 700 and 800 hours per year, at which point it is not viable to make the jets available for charter to offset costs, Galanopoulos said. In his view, annual owner usage of between 300 and 500 flight hours is the sweet spot for offering aircraft to the charter market, with newcomers to the charter sector encouraged to start considering ownership when they are flying more than 200 hours.
“For [high-use] clients, having their own aircraft and their own crew is very important, and owners see value in always seeing the same faces; people who know them and their needs very well,” Galanopoulos said.