Two new Falcon 7X aircraft operated by Unijet are likely to have begun charter activities in July, the company reports. Both are configured with 12 seats and are Paris-based.
"We took delivery late last year and it's only now that we expect to receive approval from the French DGAC to have them on our AOC," says Andrew Lee, UK sales director. "We were hoping to have them available from April this year; this then slipped to June and now we hope July. Unijet is the first French operator to have the 7X on its AOC, so I guess we are laying the foundations."
Lee believes the 7X will be very popular with charter customers: "It's a good looking aircraft, has a great range, London to Los Angeles direct for example, and a fine spacious cabin. This, combined with its fantastic airfield performance, will allow our customer to visit far away remote airfields not served by regular airline schedules, in emerging markets such as India, China and South America. Clients find also a comfort in having that third engine, especially when crossing large expanses of ocean or desert."
Since delivery, the aircraft have been flying for their respective owners and this has enabled Unijet flight and cabin crews to gain valuable experience with the new aircraft.
"Unijet are not new to long-haul flying and over the years we have gained a great deal of experience operating the Falcon 50 and 900 aircraft along with the Global Express to destinations throughout Africa, the Middle and Far East and America," adds Lee. "Having a good, efficient operations department is key to any successful operation and I am proud to say we have a dedicated team of experts in our Paris office that keep the fleet flying 24/7."
Unijet's fleet currently comprises a Citation CJ2 and CJ3, Hawker 800XP, three Falcon 50s, two Falcon 900EX, a Global Express and the two Falcon 7Xs.