There is probably little doubt that traveling by private jet is extremely comfortable. But are they worth it? If the leading private jet provider Textron Aviation has its way: definitely! After all, time is probably the most valuable commodity these days. And travelling by private jet gives you a lot of it.
Local inspection in Prague
Just a few days ago, Textron Aviation Inc. celebrated its tenth anniversary. Based in Wichita, Kansas, the company is the “one-stop store” for all private jet needs. It owns the Beechcraft and Cessna brands. It not only manufactures these, but also looks after existing Hawker machines. However, production alone is not enough. Spare parts, maintenance and personalized service for owners, which even includes travel planning and personnel recruitment, are all part of the highly specialized company. Duncan Van De Velde has been responsible for Europe as Vice President of Sales since October 2022.
“Selling private jets is easy,” smiles the likeable Dutchman. “If a place on the waiting list became available, we could fill it within a day,” explains Van De Velde. The company sells 250 private jets worldwide each year. This comes as no surprise to us, as our test flight in a Citation Longitude, Textron’s latest baby, gives us a first-hand experience of how comfortable traveling in a private jet can be. Many details that are already far more pleasant in Business and First Class on a commercial flight than in Eco are taken to a new level here.
“Time machine” private jet
“We give the luxury of not wasting time,” says Duncan Van De Velde, summarizing the benefits of travelling by private jet. With your own or your company’s own aircraft, you’ll never have to stress on the way to the airport again. Finally, the jet is refuelled, serviced and staffed. Textron takes care of all that. In principle, the journey starts as soon as you arrive at the General Aviation Terminal. You hardly need to allow any time for security checks and the like.
Itineraries are just as highly customisable as departure times and destinations. For companies that frequently send their employees around the world, travelling by company jet offers potential savings, as Van de Velde explains. Business trips can be planned so seamlessly that, for example, hotel nights and meals as well as idle time for employees can be saved. After all, you can work, sleep, eat and relax in comfort on a private jet.
Flying by private jet is really this cheap
Using Textron Aviation’s latest baby as an example, we calculate. The aircraft offers space for up to 12 passengers. For our calculation example, let’s assume that the company jet has 8 employees who have to travel from London to Dubai, plus two pilots. The pure flight time with a commercial airline is 7 hours. If you include security checks and the like, you spend around 10 hours travelling, 3 of which are spent completely unproductively.
The costs for flights in Business Class would total € 32,960.-1 in November 2024. If you add eight dinners and eight hotel rooms, the trip costs the company a good €36,000 – not even counting cancellations due to strikes and delays.
And in the new Cessna Longitude from Textron Aviation? The hourly operating cost of around € 2,200 results in a price of € 28,000. In addition, personnel and time expenditure for the organisation and costs for overnight stays and the like are eliminated. The time in the jet can be used for meetings in complete privacy, for example. “Time is money – but not only,” says Duncan Van De Velde, citing the example of the businessman who, thanks to a private jet, can reach his family more quickly after an appointment. “We give the gift of time.”
Here’s a look at the new Cessna Longitude
Acquisition costs in the entry-level private jet class start at around € 5 million. Depending on the size and specifications of the aircraft, the range is open at the top. Textron’s latest aircraft, the Cessna Longitude, costs from around € 28 million. It is completely customisable. From the configuration of the seats (can it be a couch in the back, for example?) and the pattern of the carpets to the colour of the outer skin, there are no limits to the imagination, except monetary ones.
The new Cessna Longitude has a maximum cruise speed of 895 km/h, and with four passengers on board it has a range of 6,482 kilometres. Another advantage is that the interior is comparatively extremely quiet. The seats can be swivelled and adjusted in all directions and it is possible to stand upright. It is possible to access the luggage compartment from the cabin. The interior controls work intuitively with a tablet.
Buy your private Jet now!
If you are now interested in your own all-round carefree private jet, you should know that it currently takes around two years from order placement to delivery. Texton Aviation will also take care of you if you are interested in a pre-owned private jet. The company currently has the largest private jet fleet. What is important: The owners of Jets become part of a kind of family. As a “Customer Advisory Board”, they are asked about their experiences and wishes and these are taken into account when developing new models.
And the fact that this family is continuously growing is the result of several factors. Travelling by private jet has experienced a new boom due to corona. New business opportunities are also changing the structure of the buying public. They are getting younger. Keyword: crypto millionaires and TikTok stars.
