Travelers looking to charter a large-cabin corporate jet will soon have a new option when flying out of the Los Angeles region. Aircraft charter firm Jet Aviation will base the first Airbus CJ318 aircraft available for U.S. charter flights at Van Nuys Airport. The plane, the corporate version of the French company’s A318 passenger jet, seats up to 18 passengers and has a range of 4,200 nautical miles. But it doesn’t come cheap, renting for $15,000 an hour. “It is not a super long-range aircraft, but the comfort factor for long trips makes it a lot more comfortable to travel in,” said Don Haloburdo, vice president and general manager for Jet Aviation Flight Services, based in Teterboro, N.J. The aircraft is owned by an Asian businessman who will make the plane available for charter use when not flying in it himself. The plane is expected to come to the San Fernando Valley airfield in about two months following an inspection in Teterboro by the Federal Aviation Administration. Having the aircraft available for charters allows Jet Aviation to serve passengers wanting a large aircraft, Haloburdo said. A traditional corporate jet may seat no more than a dozen people. “We do get a reasonable number of requests (for a larger plane),” he noted. “There are few options available without going back to them and saying we have two Gulfstreams or two Bombardiers.” The ACJ318 is similar in size to the Boeing Business Jet and the Gulfstream 650. The layout of the Airbus plane, however, includes a roomy stateroom, large chairs and a conference room. Jet Aviation, a division of General Dynamics Corp., of Falls Church, Va., has about 200 aircraft under management in the United States and Europe. Six of those are based at Van Nuys. – Mark R. Madler
Cabin Fever? Take a Seat On the CJ318
