Airbus Breaks Into Fractional Market
In Breakthrough Program With Avolar

ACJ vice president Richard Gaona scored a major victory in offering fractional jets.

In a deal involving up to 15 Airbus Corporate Jetliners (ACJ), Airbus and Avolar, a subsidiary of Chicago-based UAL Corp. that was launched in May, will offer fractional ownership of the ACJ to potential customers in North America.

The deal is the first to be announced for the ACJ in North America. It also marks the first time that the ACJ has been offered under a fractional ownership plan.

Separately, Airbus will continue to market the ACJ directly to customers in North America, which will have the option of Avolar managing, operating and maintaining the aircraft for them.

Under the agreement, Avolar will fly, maintain and provide passenger service for the joint ownership ACJ customers, under FAR Part 121. The aircraft will be captained by mainline United Airlines pilots. United Services, a division of United Airlines, will provide total maintenance support with a "one call handles all" service, as it has for ACJ customers over the past two years.

Concerning the past year for the ACJ organization, a total of 10 ACJs have been delivered so far, with eight of these in service. Operators include Aero Services Executive, Al Kharafi/Twinjet,

DaimlerChrysler, the Italian Air Force, Qatar Airways, plus several that are undisclosed. Airbus will deliver four ACJs this year, out of a total A319/A320/A321 production of about 260 aircraft. The ACJ, which is derived from the A319, is assembled in Hamburg, alongside A321s.
There are no plans to increase production, but that could change.

"With strong demand for the airliner versions, it is sometimes difficult to get the ACJ delivery slots that our customers would like," ACJ vice president Richard Gaona told Show News. "But Airbus is a customer-driven company, and we will always do our best to find ACJ positions for customers who are ready to put their money on the table."

By Barry Rosenberg