From humble beginnings, Flyinggroup is now one of the top five business jet groups in Europe, specialising in several different aspects of the aviation industry, among them aircraft management, maintenance, business flights, charter flights and shared aircraft ownership. The company has been awarded the CTA (Certificat de Transporteur Aéronautique) in Luxembourg, and from now on will have two of its 23-strong fleet based here. Of the two aircraft, which have both already been registered in Luxembourg, one is a four-seater Cessna Citation Mustang, with a range of approximately 1,800km, while the other is a Cessna Citation XLS, configured to seat eight and with a range in the region of 2,850km.

The aircraft are painted in a neutral livery for discretion and flexibility. As well as operating flights out of Luxembourg, Flyinggroup will also be offering their maintenance and management services here. The company also boasts one of the few official Cessna Citation service centres in Europe, located at their Antwerp headquarters, which will allow them to perform a share in the maintenance of approximately 800 Cessna aircraft in service on this continent.

Why here? Why now?

From Luxembourg, Flyinggroup’s aircraft will be able to reach major European business centres such as Brussels, Paris and London within one to two. While this may be the same time in the air as the major airlines (with the obvious exception of Brussels, access to which throws up a major headache of its own), the time spent between arrival at the airport and taking off is a matter of minutes. Transit times are also reduced: the major airlines across Europe use a network of 300 airports, whereas Flyinggroup has a potential network of 2000 to choose from. A regular flight is simply not conducive to conducting business meetings, but a private one can have the feeling of a relaxed boardroom, and meetings can be undertaken onboard, even when on the way to another meeting. This saves time and can help avoid unnecessary stopovers.

According to Bernard van Milders, CEO of Flyinggroup, the company sees Luxembourg as “a very important place for the company in the future. And if it is accessible, that will encourage businesses to establish a presence in the future.” The group has established eight members of staff here to oversee Luxembourg operations, with a view to becoming identified as a “local” company. It is an opportunity the company felt it could ill-afford to miss: the business flight market in this country is, for one reason or another, surprisingly under-developed given the nature of the economy. Flyinggroup will clearly face a challenge to establish itself here, but the challenge may not necessarily come from direct competition.

Recent times have seen a squeeze on investment directed at unnecessary or luxury services, while every major company is now at pains to emphasise its green credentials. How exactly do business flights fit into this? Flyinggroup is CO2 neutral for its in-house emissions and offers all clients the option to offset, on a voluntary basis, the CO2 emissions related to its flights. They are also committed to having the most modern and therefore most efficient aircraft. The business has expanded from one aircraft in 1995, to five in 2000, to the current figure of 23. This cannot be achieved without the knowhow the company has developed, which extends beyond “just” flights. The company expects growth to be steady in Luxembourg, and believes potential turnover of 10 million euros per year could be achieved in this country, although the target for 2009 is a more modest two to three million. In any case, crises may happen, but a private jet? Is there a more glamorous way to travel?