Deon de Lange of iol explains an aging fleet of VIP aircraft with problems is forcing the South African President to fly on rented private planes.
“Defence Ministry spokesman Ndivhuwo Mabaya said on Tuesday the [South African National Defense] air force – responsible for all VIP air transport – was facing ‘serious problems’ with this service, and it was getting very difficult to guarantee the safety of senior government officials.”
Using the incidents as proof that new VIP jets are needed, the government is now looking to buy or lease 2 aircraft, including a long-haul for international trips.
Mabaya also said:
“It is now more than urgent that we find a reliable plane, brand new or leased, for the deputy president. If you look at all the incidents of the deputy president – whether it is a (warning) light going off that shouldn’t go off or whether it’s an emergency landing in the DRC – these are not our planes.”
Sukhoi, a Russian airplane maker, plans to make a VIP version of its SuperJet 100 regional jet, according to Jason Paur of Autopia. The SBJ’s launch customer is Comlux, who will add 4 to their fleet of 19 charter aircraft which includes several Airbus Corporate Jets, Bombardier business jets, and a Boeing 767. First delivery is expected to take place in 2014.
“The fly-by-wire Sukhoi business jet will have a 4,300 mile range, though with a limited passenger load. With a cruise speed of around 530 miles per hour, the SBJ offers performance similar to other jets of its size.”
The Globe and Mail’s Bertrand Marotte says although Bombardier Inc is under heavy pressure to meet a 2013 delivery deadline for the new C Series, it is considering a possible business jet version of the long-range aircraft.
Rodney Williams, vice-president of marketing, said:
“’We have had demand from customers who have asked us to look at’ a business-jet version of the aircraft.”
If Bombardier proceeds, this jet would be its biggest and most expensive corporate plane, and would probably sell 6 – 24 units a year.
People’s Alla Byrne gives the juicy details on Donald Trump’s new toy – a custom 757. The plane has a dining room, lounge, VIP area, guest bedroom, and master bedroom, as well as what everyone needs on their private plane – 24k gold-plated seat belts. Trump’s personal quarters on board feature gold silk-lined walls, a personal theater, Trump crest pillows, and a 24k gold-plated sink. Donald’s assistant even gives a tour on YouTube for those who want to see it for themselves.
Edward Falzon, writing about luxury private jets for CNNGo, mentions that the 747-8 Intercontinental is the “latest, longest and about the most expensive corporate jet in the world” and costs about US$500 million with a VIP interior:
“A touch over 76 meters long, the 747-8i VIP also boasts a cabin 6.1 meters wide, dwarfing the BBJ’s (only the 737s are referred to as “BBJs” — all other models are “VIP”) 3.5 meters, and it has up to 525 square meters of floor-space — two or three times the size of your average house. ”
The new 747-8 Aeroloft™ is in final testing and then installation at Greenpoint Technologies’ wide body hangar facility in Wichita, Kansas (Greenpoint is a sponsor of this blog).
The Aeroloft™ provides 8 private sleeping berths located above the main deck in the aft section of the new Boeing 747-8, and is installed with custom designed interior furnishings and a forward entry staircase. This provides passengers a private rest area above the main deck for additional relaxation and comfort.
Bret Neely, Vice President of Sales, says:
“Being a Boeing-only completion center is a key advantage to our customers. They know we have the technical experience to deliver on our promise. The Aeroloft™ product is a great example of this.”
Greenpoint Technologies, a sponsor of this blog, is exhibiting at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Convention highlighting on-time deliveries and expanded facilities in Texas and Washington State.
Greenpoint is delivering their 17th Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) completion five (5) weeks ahead of schedule to a confidential head-of-state customer. The 18th BBJ is currently in work at their Paine Field VIP hangar in Everett, WA, and is on track to deliver, along with the 19th BBJ, in 2012.
The Washington and Texas expansions include additional manufacturing facilities to support VIP and head-of-state BBJ programs.
Sloan Benson Greenpoint EVP and President of the Denton Facilities, says:
“The expanded capabilities with our three shops, stable workforce and rigorous process driven organization enable Greenpoint to deliver projects on time. The culmination of these factors result in our latest BBJ being over a month early.”
David Esler of Aviation Week investigated the impact of terrorism on business aviation, and produced an interesting article that probes
For example, one company, Executive Fliteways checks:
“every passenger’s name against the no-fly list for every commercial flight, which takes a little time,’ said John Grillo, head of the Long Island, N.Y., charter/management outfit. ‘Even if it’s the president of the company, and you recognize him from a photo, you must delay him. Our crews have had to be fingerprinted and approved before we could hire them.’”
The article also explores TSA’s attempts to regulate security on corporate jets, including rules restricting items on board:
“Formerly a foreign service agent vested with embassy security, then, subsequently, director of security for Texas Instruments, [John] Sullivan currently consults on aviation security at Welsh-Sullivan Group, where he is a managing partner. ‘There was an uproar in response, as that rule would have never worked in a million years,’ he said. ‘They were going to restrict steak knives and golf clubs from going onto corporate airplanes. They took the prohibited items list for airlines and superimposed it over business aviation. That experience, he said, taught the agency that ‘general aviation is a separate animal’ and that ‘they can’t use a cookie-cutter approach on all of aviation.’”
Kate Chapman, of The Dominion Post, leads speculation on who was in a Royal Jet charter plane that recently landed at Wellington International Airport in New Zealand. The Abu Dhabi-based Boeing 737 is ”the world’s most luxurious and technologically advanced BBJ [Boeing Business Jet], offering full GSM mobile and WiFi broadband connectivity along with live TV”. The plane features a VIP lounge, a meeting and dining area, and a rest and relaxation zone, and can carry up to 40 passengers. In addition, some of the seats can be converted to lie-flat beds.
Michelle Higgins from New York Times reports that flying a private jet may be getting a bit cheaper. New web sites, social media and high fuel prices have opened up some opportunities. Last minute discounts may be possible by searching specific web sites, such as emptysectors.com, which advertise “empty legs” (repositioning flights without passengers), and being flexible.
Social media is another one to check out. JetSuite’s SuiteShare can set you up on a charter and then offer unused seates through Facebook (facebook.com/jetsuiteair). When someone else joins your flight, you all pay a little less.
socialflights.com is an online service that uses social networking to match charter companies with empty seats and travelers who want to lower their costs by sharing a plane. Fifty seven private plane operators offer flights on some 400 aircraft, and if enough people want to travel to the same place at the same time, the cost is the price of a seat.
One final option is to hire a broker to do the leg work for you. Of course, you have to pay a commission, and then independent private jet brokers act as your agent to solicit bids.
