NetJets Europe recently announced a new fractional option allowing individuals and businesses to acquire a share of of a jet – equivalent to 25 hours of flight time per year – from as little as US$125,000.

This builds on the ongoing interest in the fractional ownership model that NetJets has witnessed as business, particularly first-class fliers, seek to escape the travel disruptions that commercial airlines have faced in recent months.

The transparency and flexibility of fractional ownership is said to offer great value to those who need to fly privately but do not travel enough to justify the expense of investing in a whole plane and flight crew of their own, and those who need access to multiple aircraft at the same time.

And, despite the turbulent global economy, there’s never been a better time to buy a fractional share in a jet. Jet prices are low, commercial airlines are facing massive problems and people that value their time are looking for alternatives.

Although many people still believe that private aviation is far more expensive than it actually is, the average NetJets Europe customer spends less than €700,000 a year, which is a very small portion of the cost of purchasing a whole jet.

When you buy a whole jet, you are effectively purchasing 800 hours of potential flight time a year and all the associated maintenance and management costs, which can run into millions of euros.

NetJets's customers fly in the knowledge that a great deal of effort is going into streamlining the carbon impact of the airline's operations.

Private perks
As soon as ten hours after a customer has booked a flight with NetJets Europe, they are picked up from home and driven straight to the runway to ensure they’re in the air within ten minutes of arriving at the airport. Passengers are also taken on to their final destination when they land.

Being in the air within ten minutes of arriving at the airport and having one’s favourite food, drinks and entertainment upon boarding are just some of the key benefits private jet owners experience over commercial passengers. NetJets Europe has a bespoke experience based on insight into a customer’s preferences, and ensures that ground and air staff are equipped to deliver an experience that matches each fliers’ individual requirements.

Private jets also have a reputation for the best safety culture and training in the industry, with 50% more simulation training time for pilots than commercial airlines, world-leading training facilities and an on-going investment programme in safety that runs to €750 million over five years.

NetJets Europe will be completely carbon neutral by 2012 as their flights will be offset through an investment in UN-mandated schemes.

Choices for business
Due to the company's scale, customers have access to the entire fleet (800 aircraft worldwide).

The interchange and multi-aircraft programmes offer great flexibility to customers. For example, if a customer has a share on a mid-size aircraft but occasionally needs a larger aircraft, he/she can upgrade and similarly, downsize if he/she needs a smaller aircraft. In addition, the multi-aircraft programme allows customers to use up to five aircraft simultaneously.

75% of the 160 or so daily flights that NetJets operates in Europe are used for business purposes and having access to a fleet of jets allows the world's most senior executives to compress business cycles, and reach meetings in comfort and in the best form to close a deal.

Private jets oil the wheels of commerce by delivering business leaders to the right boardrooms at the right time - particularly as customers often state that there's no substitute for pressing the flesh in a meeting to close the deal.