Tailormade long-hop office or apartment in the sky - ACJ 318

An Airbus ACJ318, the corporate jet version of the A318 airliner, will be the highlight of the company’s presence at the Hyderabad show, marking the first time that any of the company’s bizjets is exhibited in India.

The Airbus ACJ318 on display is operated by Abu Dhabi-based Al Jaber Aviation, which offers it for VVIP charters in a spacious and comfortable arrangement with seating for 19.

“Corporate jets such as the Airbus ACJ318 are primarily business tools that save time and enhance productivity, but are also an extension of the home and office facilities of company executives and world leaders, who want to take into the air what they have on the ground,” comments Airbus CEO, Customers, John Leahy. “With the widest and tallest cabin of any bizjet, existing or planned, Airbus corporate jets are best placed to deliver this work and lifestyle benefit,” he adds.

Airbus’ ACJ318 is similar in size externally to traditional large-bizjets, but has a cabin that is about twice as wide, delivering a new league in comfort, space, and freedom of movement.

It features a lounge-like main cabin that welcomes passengers in several different zones, as well as another room that is an office by day and a bedroom with ensuite bathroom at night.

The Airbus corporate jet on display at Hyderabad thus gives Indian and other potential customers the chance to experience for themselves the best business jet cabin in the world. They have won some 170 orders since Airbus delivered its first corporate jet in the mid-1980s, and are the only bizjets flying on every continent, including Antarctica. Airbus corporate jets have a widespread presence in Asia-Pacific, where they are flying with a wide range of companies, high net-worth individuals and governments.

INDIAN INTEREST. Francois Chazelle, Vice President, Worldwide Sales, ACJ told the media in Hyderabad that there were a ‘couple’ of billionaires who had ACJ in their fleet and that the company hoped that there would be more buyers going in for upgrades from mid-size business jets.

Positioning ACJ aircraft, Chazelle said it has major cost advantage if customers are annually flying over 1200 hours. “If a customer is doing that kind of flying, then a business jet would require at least three major checks in a year, keeping the aircraft off flying. In the case of an ACJ, the major C Check comes once in 20 months.”

ACJ had a strategic partnership with Lufthansa Tecknik and with nine outfitters across the world, including the recent one in China. “The Chinese market is growing fast and it makes sense to have an outfitter over there. The most lucrative market, however, is the Middle East market.”