Member Article

Newcastle aircraft management company lands new $25 million business jet

Newcastle-based aircraft management company, Naljets, has taken delivery of a new $25 million aircraft to add to its growing fleet of luxury business jets.

The new Bombardier Challenger 350 was flown overnight from the factory in Montréal to the UK by Naljets’ managing director Craig McLeod and Captain Peter Riley, and will be managed by Naljets on behalf of an international client.

The aircraft will be available for private charter alongside Naljets’ Gulfstream G200 based out of the UK, and with a range of 3,200 nautical miles (5,926 km) can reach destinations in the USA, Russia, Middle East and North Africa in a single flight.

Delivering the lowest direct operating costs for a business aircraft of its size and built for optimal performance and comfort, the Challenger 350 can carry ten passengers in comfort and boasts one of the most spacious cabins in its category.

It also offers top-of-the-range technology including highly advanced cockpit avionics. These include a ‘Synthetic Vision System’ to enhance safety, which overlays outside terrain as well as runway and airport features on the cockpit displays in bad weather, and state of the art Lufthansa Technik cabin entertainment systems for passenger comfort and enjoyment.

Craig McLeod, managing director of Naljets, said: “Since registering the aircraft in the UK last month, it has already flown nearly 200 hours – more hours than many business aircraft get flown in an entire year – so we really appreciate its performance capabilities.

“It is an awesome aircraft with an improved payload and a phenomenal climb rate, much faster than the earlier Challenger 300. In addition, its new state of the art ‘winglets’ have improved fuel efficiency, flying performance and reduced stall speeds, meaning we can now get into remote airfields that were previously out of reach.

“It is one of those aircraft where improvements are not just theoretical, but are tangible ones that a pilot can really sense. It is a pilot’s jet and it puts the fun back into flying.”

Craig continued: “We are delighted to have added the Challenger 350 to our fleet. It’s an aircraft with excellent levels of comfort, making it an optimum way for businesses and individuals to travel.

“Last year we received record numbers of charter requests for our aircraft. The addition of the new Challenger expands our capability further and, being the first Challenger 350 registered in the UK, the interest in the aircraft is very strong.”

The Challenger 350 is the latest addition to Naljets’ rapidly expanding fleet which includes aircraft looked after on behalf of clients based all over the world. Naljets provides aircraft management services to businesses and private jet owners, as well as charter sales services for customers looking to travel on aircraft ranging from small regional airplanes to large business jets.

The new Challenger 350 will help the company to meet growing demand from an array of clients both at home and abroad chartering aircraft for business and leisure purposes.

The fleet expansion follows a recent re-brand for Naljets, and the Challenger 350 is the first of its aircraft to be adorned with the new Naljets company branding.