Over the past few years, there have been increasing numbers of refitted aircraft entering the charter market as VIP airliners. These aircraft boast ‘private jet’ levels of comfort with luxurious interiors, generous baggage capacity, business class seating and spacious interiors.
The popularity of this genre of aircraft has increased, particularly with those travelling medium to long haul routes.
For example, the ground-breaking Crystal Skye (pictured) is a converted Boeing 777-200 available for private charter. It accommodates up to 88 passengers in luxurious and spacious surroundings. All of its first-class style lounger seats convert into fully flat beds. Upfront it boasts a lounge area seating up to 24 and in the rear is a fully equipped galley and wine cellar. The Crystal Skye also boasts a range of up to 19 hours.
Some other popular VIP airliners currently include the following:
Boeing 757-200 VIPThe 2x2 business class cradle seats have a 135 degree recline. Accommodating up to 80 passengers depending on the aircraft, the aircraft has a range of up to 7.5 hours.
With up to 62 business class seats, depending on the aircraft, the range of these VIP airliners make them ideal for short and medium haul routes.
Its range of up to 12 hours and lie flat business class seats makes it an ideal choice for transatlantic travel, seating up to 100 passengers. VIP catering and inflight entertainment are included.
Reconfigured VIP aircraft are particularly popular with groups flying further afield and in particular, those where everyone onboard is a VIP – as one of the key benefits is that all of the group can enjoy the same business class style seats. At Air Partner, we are currently seeing demand from the below groups looking for a VIP charter experience.
Major events – flying VIP guests to major events such as World Cups and Olympics.
Sports teams – VIP airliners are ideal for sports teams flying to major tournaments who have a requirement to reach their destination in peak condition. We can also work with clubs to ensure VIP catering on-board fits with the players' nutritional requirements.
Destination weddings and special occasions – we have seen an increase in couples looking to fly their wedding party by private charter over recent years and flying on a VIP configured aircraft allows the celebrations to start before the group have even arrived at their destination. These are particularly popular for those travelling to long haul destinations and we can assist in completely customising the travel experience.
Corporate groups – where all of the group is a VIP. The aircraft can often be equipped with lounge areas, ideal for business meetings in the air.
At Air Partner, we have close relationships with a global network of trusted partners to ensure we provide the right solution to meet your requirements. We continuously work to stay ahead of the market, winning access to the best aircraft at the best prices for our customers and delivering charter solutions uniquely tailored to each client.
