A growing customer and operator base plus an increasing business volume have prompted Airbus to create a new business unit, Airbus Corporate Jets, to better respond to this part of its business.

The Airbus Corporate Jets unit will bring together commercial, programme and support activities in a single in-house unit. It will also have a direct link to the company’s Airbus Corporate Jet Centre cabin-outfitting subsidiary, part of a worldwide network of approved completion centres.

“With almost 200 Airbus corporate jet sales to date, we now serve a growing and increasingly important community, and combining all the various aspects of this business will help us to serve our customers better while paving the way for further expansion,” says Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers, John Leahy.

Airbus sold its first corporate jets in the mid-Eighties and, in 1997, launched a corporate jet version of its A319 airliner, now called the Airbus ACJ319. Today, Airbus offers the world’s most modern and comprehensive corporate jet family, ranging from the Airbus ACJ318 to the ACJ380, offering companies, individuals and governments the comfort they want in the size that they need.

“Our corporate jet customers and operators already benefit from the features, reliability and support that we build into our modern airliner family, but we also recognise that they have different needs, and our more integrated Airbus Corporate Jets division will help us to address these even better and more responsively”, says Habib Fekih, President Airbus Corporate Jets.

Airbus will also invest more resources in the Airbus Corporate Jets business unit, including the expansion of its local presence in key markets, and it will have more potential to launch improvements in both products and services.

Comlux places first commitment for Airbus ACJ321 ‘Comlux The Aviation Group’ has signed a commitment for an Airbus ACJ321 - the first ever placed with Airbus for the type – expanding the Airbus corporate jet family. The Airbus ACJ321 features the widest and tallest cabin of any business jet, as well as even more floorspace and baggage capacity than today’s ACJ318, ACJ319 and ACJ320.
		(L to R) Richard Gaona, President and CEO of Comlux; John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers; Francois Chazelle, Vice President Airbus Corporate Jets; Habib Fekih, President Airbus Corporate Jets.

“Airbus’ ACJ321 will enable us to offer our passengers even more of the comfort and space that are the hallmarks of the Airbus corporate jet Family, while delivering the highest standards in service on board,” says Comlux Chief Executive Officer Richard Gaona.

“Adding the Airbus ACJ321 to our corporate jet family gives our customers an even wider choice in what is now established as the premier line in business jets,” says Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers, John Leahy.

The Comlux Airbus ACJ321 will be outfitted by Comlux America. It will be powered by CFM International CFM56-5B engines. The latest deal means that Comlux will be the first to operate the Airbus ACJ318, ACJ319, ACJ320 and A321.

BlueSky Business Aviation News | 24th November 2011 | Issue #152

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