A Swiss company that provides luxury chartered flights has placed a firm order for 56 business aircraft from Bombardier, Inc., marking the largest sale of business aircraft in the history of the Canadian manufacturer, the companies announced on Tuesday.
In a joint statement, VistaJet said it has placed a firm order for 56 Bombardier Global jets and has bought options for a further 86 Global jets. The firm order is valued at approximately $3.1 billion at list prices, but aircraft manufacturers usually provide significant discounts. The deal could be worth as much as $7.8 billion if all options are exercised.
The firm order comprises 25 Global 5000 aircraft, 25 Global 6000 aircraft and six Global 8000 jets. VistaJet, which was founded by Swiss businessman Thomas Flohr in 2004 and has a fleet of exclusively Bombardier aircraft, also bought the option to acquire 40 additional Global 5000 aircraft, 40 Global 6000 and six Global 8000 jets.
“By any standard, this is a historic order for Bombardier. It goes without saying that we are thrilled VistaJet has again chosen to grow their fleet with the industry-leading Global family,” said Steve Ridolfi, President of Bombardier Business Aircraft. “Our Global aircraft are perfect for VistaJet’s business strategy to deliver the ultimate business jet family to all corners of the world.”
VistaJet, which describes itself as the world’s fastest growing private aviation company, said it will have carried 25,000 passengers on 10,000 single international flights this year. The firm deal will mark a significant expansion from the 50 jets it currently operates, and deliveries are expected to begin in 2014.
“This order is the most significant milestone for VistaJet and is a testimony to our successful strategy that focuses on global coverage,” Flohr said. “Earlier in the year we announced landmark agreements with partners in both China and Russia and, since then, the level of demand we have seen in growth markets around the globe has been unprecedented.”
The new aircraft will directly service these growth markets, namely Russia, China, the Middle East and Africa, but also the East and West coast of the United States for intercontinental travel needs. “We are seamlessly connecting our customers to every corner of the world in unrivaled levels of style and safety,” Flohr added.
