French operator iXair is making its CitationJet available from Cannes airport for the summer period. The five-seater jet has a comfor- table cabin with a mini-bar and separate toilet. With a range of around two hours and a competitive price per flight hour, sales manager Laetitia Loudet believes that it is a proposition that will 'seduce' customers: “We operate many Cessna jets in our fleet, because they are well adapted for our customers' and owners' needs,” she says. “The CitationJet is the perfect aircraft for European flights of up to five passengers.

“From Paris to London or from Cannes to Olbia, the CJ is 200 km/h faster and can fly 3,000 m higher than comparable turboprops. It is a real work tool, especially for businessmen.”

The company also received a factory-new CJ4 in 2013. The eight- seater jet is based at Lyon Bron and has been chartering since January. Southern France is becoming a popular region for iXair's clients, and Loudet says that last minute bookings are frequent: “We very often make last minute bookings which we turn around in as little as two hours.

“In the future, business aviation will have an increasing number of aircraft owners. iXAir is planning to get more aircraft in management, and we have a strategy for this at our Le Bourget, Cannes and Lyon bases.”