NetJets Europe has taken delivery of its first Cessna Citation Latitude from a 2012 order for 25 of the midsize business jets to be distributed amongst the Lisbon, Portugal-headquartered fractional ownership operation and its US sister company.
The Latitude – registration CS-LAT – will begin a three-month European demonstration tour on 22 May. The 2,850nm (5,280km)-range aircraft is equipped with a NetJets Signature Series bespoke interior.
The first customer-owned Latitude is scheduled to join NetJets’ 100-strong business jet fleet in the fourth quarter.
With its regional demonstration tour under way since January, NetJets’ US sister company is preparing to receive its first customer-owned Latitude in June.
Cessna secured respective US and European approvals for the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW306D1-powered type in July and February. By the end of the first quarter, the Textron subsidiary had delivered 23 of the $ 16.3 million twins.
Meanwhile, in an attempt to widen its exposure to London’s business community, NetJets Europe and sister company Executive Jet Management have lent their brand names to the UK capital’s only Civil Aviation Authority-licensed heliport. The landing site will be known as NetJets London Heliport and company names will feature throughout the facility, on the banks of the River Thames.
“London is the very core of NetJets’ European business – with over one-third of our customers based here,” says company president, Mark Wilson. “So to cement our presence in the city with this partnership allows us to educate new audiences on the benefits of fractional jet ownership.”
The Berkshire Hathaway-owned company describes the heliport as “a key piece of infrastructure for those flying privately in the UK”.
The number of interlining flights from the heliport with onward private jet flights increased to 20% last year. Major contributors included London’s Stansted, Biggin Hill, Farnborough, Luton and Oxford airports, says NetJets.
The heliport – owned by the Reuben Brothers – has recorded more than 500,000 movements since it opened in 1959. This includes 10,500 take-off and landings in 2015.
