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New luxury private jets unveiled at Biggin Hill Airport amid rising demand for chartered air travel

14:00, 21 October 2016

Two top-of-the-range private jets worth £14.5 million each have been unveiled by an aviation business flying high from the take off in demand for corporate chartered air travel.

Zenith Aviation showed off its two new luxury Learjet 75s at Biggin Hill Airport this week, both with eight seats and kitted out with wifi, touch screens, Bose headsets and adjustable lighting.

The investment comes after a 250% increase in charter flights this year and opens up the door for a potential expansion to the North of England.

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The new Learjet 75 unveiled at Biggin Hill Airport
The new Learjet 75 unveiled at Biggin Hill Airport

“All the indicators suggest business aviation is in resurgence,” said managing director Stuart Mulholland.

“We are just responding to the market. We have been incredibly busy this year.”

The Learjet 75s travel at 860kph, or mach 0.81, putting them among the faster corporate jets on the market, capable of travelling from London to Amsterdam in 35 minutes and to Marrakesh in three hours and 20 minutes.

Travellers can make facetime calls using the displays next to every seat and enjoy nibbles and drinks from the Champagne bar.

The Learjet 75 seats eight passengers and even your dog
The Learjet 75 seats eight passengers and even your dog
The Learjet 75 has a range of 3,778km
The Learjet 75 has a range of 3,778km
The Learjet 75 has eight seats, wifi, touch screen displays, Blu-ray DVD player and a SAT phone
The Learjet 75 has eight seats, wifi, touch screen displays, Blu-ray DVD player and a SAT phone

The layout, with two banks of four seats facing each other, means business meetings can be held at 51,000 feet, well above passenger airlines.

The middle seats can be laid flat to allow smaller groups to bed down for a nap on the journey.

Captain Ben Campbell was one of the pilots who delivered the planes last week from where they are manufactured in Wichita, Kansas, stopping for fuel at Montreal, Goose Bay air base in Canada, Reykjavik and finally landing at Biggin Hill three days later.

“It brings a smile to my face,” he said. “The smell of new leather and the cockpit – it’s an exciting time. It will bring us lots of new customers.

Senior First Officer Mike Imlach and Captain Ben Campbell with the new Learjet 75
Senior First Officer Mike Imlach and Captain Ben Campbell with the new Learjet 75

“This year has certainly picked up from last year. We are seeing the number of people increase every year and a wider variety of people.”

The two new planes take Zenith’s fleet to nine aircraft and could lead to the company expanding north for the first time, potentially locating a plane in Manchester.

Video: New luxury private jets unveiled

Managing director Mr Mulholland said: “There is a lot of business in that part of the country but we have been unable to compete because we would have to fly a plane up there and back empty.”

He is already considering adding more aircraft to the fleet.

Zenith Aviation managing director Stuart Mulholland
Zenith Aviation managing director Stuart Mulholland

He said: “We are certainly willing to put more money into it.

“We had a fantastic January and every single month so far has smashed the previous year’s.”

The only potential stumbling block for the expanding business is the fluctuations in exchange rates since the EU referendum.

Mr Mulholland added: “That causes a lot more costs in dollars, with which we buy fuel and run our maintenance programme.

The Learjet 75s were unveiled alongside classic cars at a launch event in Biggin Hill Airport
The Learjet 75s were unveiled alongside classic cars at a launch event in Biggin Hill Airport

“If there’s a risk it’s as a result in the variation in exchange rates but the popular belief is it will slow down.

“I don’t think Brexit itself will have a negative impact on us. We are dealing with high-net worth customers and providing a business tool and that won’t go away.

"We are not concerned by Brexit.”

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