Marathon Airlines, a recently launched operator run by aviation veterans who have worked and flown governmental, royal and presidential fleet operations within Europe, is to fly an Embraer Legacy 600.

The aircraft has been added to the portfolio of Switzerland-based Vertis Aviation and will be marketed for charter as part of the Vertis Charter Management Programme. With a Greek AOC and an Athens home base, the versatility of the Legacy 600 will be enhanced by floating availability to give customers opportunities to access the aircraft from anywhere within Europe or beyond.

Revamped inside and out at the end of 2020, the cabin seats up to 13 passengers in an elegant environment for flights of up to seven hours. Vertis anticipates the aircraft will be in high demand with travellers looking to maximise the benefits of business aviation for safe passage in the current pandemic environment. As travel restrictions lift families requiring a large cabin and lots of luggage space, musicians on tour needing to move between European locations, and corporate road shows needing the space and productive environment the cabin supports are likely to become regular passengers.

“Legacy aircraft are extremely popular for group charters in Europe, which is why we're pleased to add this model to our portfolio. We know that this particular aircraft will be welcomed by a new set of customers who are transitioning to business aviation as they recognise the advantages it brings,” says James Foster, Vertis COO. “These clients seek aircraft that can meet the needs of flexible itineraries, while optimising travel budgets. With our boutique approach and the Legacy 600's capabilities customers will be assured of streamlined, discrete service wrapped up in efficient operations and affordability.”

Vertis is a launch customer of Paynode, a seamless multi-currency payment platform provided by the online charter marketplace Avinode. Along with the Gulfstream G450 offered by Vertis Aviation, the Legacy 600 will be enrolled into the system, enabling smooth currency exchanges between charter stakeholders. “We are pleased to have the Legacy 600 form part of the Paynode system and believe it will help demystify the often overly complex transaction part of the charter equation, so making it even more attractive to customers,” says Foster.

The Vertis team works from an international network of offices located in Zug, London, Beverly Hills, Dubai and Cape Town marketing a select portfolio of business aircraft including a Global 6000, Global 5000, Gulfstream G450 and a Challenger 350.