Private aviation company Flexjet Inc. said it plans to add 22 aircraft to its midsize and super midsize fleet by the end of 2023 as part of a five-year growth plan.
Flexjet previously added the Embraer Praetor 600 to its North American fractional-ownership fleet after operating the aircraft in Europe for two years. The company said it also operated the Praetor 500 and its predecessor, the Legacy 450, for seven years. Flexjet also operated the Bombardier Challenger 3500 in the super midsize category.
“Together with the existing Embraer Praetor 500 and Challenger 350 aircraft flying in our fleet, the addition of the Praetor 600 and the Challenger 3500 has given Flexjet the industry’s leading offering of mid- and super midsize aircraft,” said Flexjet executive vice president of sales D.J. Hanlon. “The aircraft available to travelers within this offering present mission versatility that is unmatched by any other private aviation provider.”
The company said the Praetor 600 has been the “backbone” of its European fleet since 2020 and has been similarly successful in its U.S. operations.
“Our ability to fly our aircraft owners on these in-demand aircraft today, and not at some distant time in the future, is further validation of our forward-looking approach,” Hanlon said. “We take pride in foreseeing where the desires of the market will be well into the future to ensure we are always offering the leading experience in global private jet travel.”
According to the company, it plans to boost its fleet size to more than 270 airplanes by the end of this year, which is more than double its size in 2018. The fleet includes the Embraer Phenom 300 and Praetor 500 and 600; Bombardier Challenger 350 and 3500; and Gulfstream G450 and G650. Flexjet also said it hired 350 additional pilots last year and plans to add 388 flight crew members and 338 aircraft maintenance technicians in 2023.
