Airbus’ ACJ Family reaches milestone of 50 sales

Airbus' Corporate Jetliner (ACJ) Family has reached the milestone of 50 sales, highlighting its success in a diverse range of markets that include private companies, individuals, executive airlines and governments. The milestone was reached with the sale of four aircraft to an undisclosed customer earlier this year.

Launched in June 1997, when a business jet version of the A319 airliner became the Airbus Corporate Jetliner (ACJ), the first delivery took place at the end of 1999. In the past three years, the Airbus ACJ Family has achieved its goal of winning at least a half of top-of-the-line business jet sales - estimated at about 15 aircraft a year.

With nine deliveries scheduled this year, and eleven orders since the beginning of 2005, the Airbus ACJ is becoming more and more successful. "All of our approved cabin-outfitters have one or more aircraft in completion at the moment, confirming our capability to secure completion slots for our customers," says Airbus Vice President Executive and Private Aviation Richard Gaona.

In addition to the 50 sales achieved by the ACJ Family, customers continue to order and express interest in private versions of larger Airbus airliners, such as the A340-600, which won its first VIP sale earlier this year, and the double-deck A380.

"What the Airbus ACJ Family has done is to introduce new levels of comfort, spaciousness and modernity in top-of-the-line business jets, without costing a lot more," says Richard Gaona. "And once customers realise that, they want the extra space that goes a long way to making their journey more pleasant and productive."

Corporate customers include Aero Services Executive of France, the Al Kharafi group of Kuwait, Blue Moon Aviation of the USA, DaimlerChrysler of Germany, Eurofly of Italy, National Air Services of Saudia Arabia, PrivatAir of Switzerland, the UB Group of India, and Qatar Airways.

Other clients include the Azerbaijan, Brazilian, French Italian, Thai and Venezuelan governments, the leasing companies CIT Aerospace and SALE, plus undisclosed customers.

The Airbus ACJ Family has the best cabin in its class, with twice the width of traditional business jets and three times their volume. Based on the A319 - part of the world’s most modern and successful airliner family - the ACJ is unique in having public transport certification, the common Airbus cockpit, fly-by-wire and Category 3B autoland. Yet it costs about the same as competing top-of-the-line business jets, delivering unmatched quality and value.

These features make the Airbus ACJ Family a powerfully productive business tool, with the ability to meet virtually any need. The ACJ can fly ten executives in a VIP layout up to 6,000 nm/11,100 km, for example, enough to fly non-stop routes such as from London to Beijing, Johannesburg or Los Angeles. It can also carry 48 passengers in exclusive comfort up to 4,500 nm/8,300 km.

Airbus is an EADS joint company with BAE Systems.

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