is low cost private jet travel possible?

Jets

The current economic crisis has affected the volume of business class and private flights which have been partially redirected to the offers of low cost carriers.

This flow is related to the need of many companies to reduce costs, but does not mean that if the price is right, there is no demand for the service, especially when savings in the ticket price may be counterbalanced by the long hours company executives spend in boarding queues, check in desks, and waiting for delayed flights, missed connections, etc.

Some planned initiatives in Spain to offer private flights at a moderate cost have not proved feasible, mainly for not having the right aircraft. It seems that the Eclipse 500 model that had been chosen originally because of its advantage of operating at a cost of approximately €1,500 an hour, with capacity for four passengers, failed, when in 2009 the European Aviation Safety Agency withdrew the certification that had been originally approved on 21st November 2008. EASA stated that the certification had been withdrawn due to “administrative as well as technical reasons.” These reasons were related to financial problems, to the Eclipse’s outstanding obligations against EASA, and payment for certification services.

Other companies seem to have had better fortune in this field; NetJets, with more than 150 aircraft, is the largest business jet company in Europe with 1,600 customers, flying to over 5,000 airports around the world. Their model is based on paying for flight hours, through the purchase of 16 to 50 hour vouchers, giving a choice of any aircraft in its fleet.

At first glance this would seem to be a luxury service, but in order to make a more accurate judgement it would be necessary to conduct a cost/ benefit analysis and work out whether the hourly rate is worthwhile.

http://www.almaclub.com/blog/category/lujo/
http://www.netjetseurope.com
http://www.expansion.com/2009/07/20/empresas/minegocio/1248116834.html
http://www.jetready.es/