Danish operator FlexFlight has registered a Citation II in the UK, which will be based at Biggin Hill airport. Sales manager Thomas Dessau believes that London is a key location for business aviation and reveals that he would like to set up a permanent base there, with just an hour's drive to the City of London: “This aircraft allows us to enter the UK market. We hope to increase our fleet in London, and this is the first step.

“We don't own the aircraft, we have it in management. You can't just take whatever aircraft you think would be nice, you must take what is available. This aircraft was available, the owner wanted to get it flying commercially, and we wanted to start up in London. So it was a perfect match.”

The jet is a 1991 model, refurbished with a new cabin in 2007. In 2011 the exterior was completely repainted. “It is now a very beautiful jet,” adds Dessau.

“At the moment I would say that the management model is more favourable to us. We don't have the funds and so we are not able to own the aircraft ourselves.”

He hopes that by the end of the year a further managed aircraft can be added to the Biggin fleet. “If we could do that it would be fantastic. But of course we know that we have to develop and learn this new market, and all of that takes time.”