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VistaJet is a global
business aviation Business aircraft are aircraft typically used by companies and corporations to transport people or goods related to the needs of said businesses. Most business aircraft are general aviation aircraft variants of propeller aircraft, piston or ...
company founded in 2004 by billionaire
Thomas Flohr Thomas Flohr (born 17 March 1960) is a Swiss billionaire businessman and amateur racing driver. He is the founder and chairman of VistaJet, a private jet charter company. As of March 2018, ''Forbes'' estimated his net worth to be US$2.3 billion. ...
. The firm flies between any two points, under a "pay for hours flown" fare structure. In January 2023, its fleet consisted of over 360 planes including mid-to-large cabin, Bombardier
Global Global may refer to: General *Globe, a spherical model of celestial bodies *Earth, the third planet from the Sun Entertainment * ''Global'' (Paul van Dyk album), 2003 * ''Global'' (Bunji Garlin album), 2007 * ''Global'' (Humanoid album), 198 ...
and Challenger business jets. The company has flown to 207 countries and 1,900 airports. Its headquarters are in
Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...
, with further offices in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
,
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
,
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
and
Dubai Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...
. VistaJet has a European
air operator's certificate An air operator's certificate (AOC) is the approval granted by a civil aviation authority (CAA) to an aircraft operator to allow it to use aircraft for commercial air transport purposes. This requires the operator to have personnel, assets and s ...
in
Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...
. It partners with local operators in countries where airlines are obliged to fly domestically and cannot be the majority owner of an AOC, such as the US, where VistaJet-owned and U.S.-registered aircraft are operated by licensed U.S. direct air carriers.


History

VistaJet was originally named Air Executive when Flohr founded the business in 2004. Back then, its headquarters were located in Switzerland, with operations in
Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
.


2003–2005

In 2003, Flohr bought an aircraft for his own use. He was able to purchase this and subsequent aircraft at discounted rates, as sales for private jets had severely weakened post-9/11, a development which Flohr has since attributed as key to the subsequent growth of the business, along with expansion in Eastern European markets and a favorable dollar/euro exchange rate. In 2004, Flohr placed his plane with a small local operator. It was chartered out within two months, making it self-financing. This prompted him to purchase a second, bigger plane, which was flying 100 hours per month within three months of purchase. Flohr commissioned a financial analysis of the private aviation industry, driven by his interest in the field. The study indicated the absence of a single global brand in the industry and highlighted that many private jets available for hire were owner-operated, rented out only when not in use by the owners. To provide flights that were "not subject to owner availability," Flohr deviated from the industry norm of home bases, where privately owned charter planes typically return to a fixed location to remain at the owner's disposal. By eliminating the need for home bases, jets could pick up clients from the airport closest to their location. Flohr formally launched a three-plane fleet in 2005, with flights across the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
and CIS region.


2006–2009

In 2008, the firm acquired Bombardier Skyjet International, effectively assuming control of the aircraft manufacturer's executive aircraft charter program, at the same time placing a US$1.2 billion order for 35 Bombardier business jets. It was reported to be Bombardier Business Aircraft's largest-ever single order. The deal included taking over Skyjet's bases at Farnborough, Dubai International and Hong Kong International airports, and made VistaJet the second-largest private jet company outside America. During this period, the firm entered private aviation markets in Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East It also redesigned its marketing and aircraft cabins to position itself as a branded
luxury good In economics, a luxury good (or upmarket good) is a good for which demand increases more than what is proportional as income rises, so that expenditures on the good become a more significant proportion of overall spending. Luxury goods are in con ...
. By 2009, the firm was operating a fleet of 23 jets.


2010–2016

In 2012, VistaJet ordered 142 Bombardier Global 5000, 6000, 7000, and 8000 aircraft, potentially worth $7.8 billion. In 2013, VistaJet placed a further order for 20 Bombardier Challenger aircraft, with options for another 20, in a deal worth around $518 million. The firm expanded its service to America in 2013 via a partnership with Jet Aviation Flight Services, which initially operated a fleet of Bombardier Global aircraft on VistaJet's behalf. The move saw VistaJet targeting former and current fractional ownership customers in the US, as well as full aircraft owners. By 2014, VistaJet had flown over 150,000 passengers and opened a representative office in New York. In 2015, VistaJet expanded the US fleet available to customers to include the Challenger 350 aircraft, then operated by Priester Aviation. In the same year, it sold its remaining LearJet 60, ending the company's association with light jets, and began to exclusively operate Bombardier Challenger and Global aircraft. VistaJet was the first international operator permitted to offer domestic flights in China. In the same year, the company co-published a book with Assouline, titled ''The Art of Flying''. In March 2016, VistaJet moved its corporate headquarters to Malta and took delivery of its 50th Maltese-registered aircraft. The company announced adding its 70th aircraft to the fleet in October 2016. The fleet numbered 77 aircraft by 2023.


2017–2018

In 2017, the firm expanded its US-based fleet by 50%. In March 2017, the company completed its 100,000th flight. In May, VistaJet abolished positioning fees. In August 2017, VistaJet announced a $150m investment by funds affiliated to Rhône Capital. Together with secondary acquisitions, Rhône would have a $200 million stake in VistaJet, valuing VistaJet at more than $2.5 billion. The company is one of the top five European startups by funding. In November 2017, VistaJet announced a worldwide partnership with
Christie's Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, and it has additional salerooms in New York, Paris, Hong Kong, Milan, Geneva, Shan ...
to sponsor the exhibition and tour of The Collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller, dedicated to raising funds for philanthropic causes. The tour took highlights of the Rockefellers' collection to Hong Kong, London, Paris, Beijing, Los Angeles and Shanghai, ending in New York with the auction. In September 2018, Vista Global, the holding company of VistaJet, announced it had acquired the fleet and commercial operations of the US-based charter operator and broker XOJET.


2019

In April 2019, Vista Global announced it had purchased JetSmarter, a digital broker with a membership program enabling customers to book single seats on private jet flights. XOJET Aviation LLC will be the operator for VistaJet US Inc registered aircraft.


2020–2022

During the 2019-2020
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, VistaJet offered complimentary empty leg flights for governments and medical transportation. It also took delivery of its first Bombardier Global 7500 aircraft. In 2021 the firm added a further four 7500s and sold more than 8,000 new annual subscription hours, up 67% year-on-year. It also acquired light jets and aircraft management services, through its purchase of Red Wing Aviation, Apollo Jet and Talon Air. In March 2022, VistaJet added its 10th Global 7500 to the fleet, making it the largest operator of the Global 7500 aircraft in the world. By the end of 2022 VistaJet's fleet of Global 7500 had grown to 18 aircraft. Vista Global Holding (Vista) announces that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Air Hamburg's operating platform and maintenance services. Founded in 2006, Air Hamburg has become one of the most well-established full-service private aviation companies, flying to over 1,000 destinations in Europe alone.


2024

In June 2024,
Julian Assange Julian Paul Assange ( ; Hawkins; born 3 July 1971) is an Australian editor, publisher, and activist who founded WikiLeaks in 2006. He came to international attention in 2010 after WikiLeaks published a series of News leak, leaks from Chels ...
departed the United Kingdom aboard a VistaJet plane. In 2024, VistaJet’s founder filed legal proceedings against AirX and British financier Timothy Horlick claiming a smear campaign had been launched against VistaJet. The filing also claims that AirX founder John Matthews used a burner email address with a fabricated identity to send emails to business contacts of VistaJet, bypassing court-ordered confidentiality.


Legal challenges

In late 2024, VistaJet's founder and CEO Thomas Flohr faced serious allegations of fraud in a high-profile case at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. The accusations were brought forward during a hearing where Flohr's legal team was attempting to prevent the case from proceeding to a full fraud trial. The specific details of the fraud allegations were not fully disclosed in public reports. However, the case has drawn significant attention in the business aviation industry and financial circles. Flohr's lawyers strongly denied the claims, describing them as unfounded and damaging to their client's reputation. The legal proceedings have raised questions about VistaJet's financial practices and corporate governance. These concerns come in the context of earlier scrutiny of the company's financial health, including its debt levels and accounting practices.


Business model

VistaJet's business model was designed in opposition to fractional jet ownership, where usage prices tend to be lower but the overall cost of ownership is potentially greater. VistaJet's business model is to fly to destinations on demand rather than as part of a scheduled route, known as a "go-anywhere any-time". The jets are owned by the company and are hired to clients at an hourly rate rather than leased. VistaJet operates two passenger service offerings, named "Program" and "Direct". The "Program" is a multi-year subscription with committed payments securing guaranteed availability, marketed as an alternative to business jet ownership. "Direct" customers request flights directly. It also grants access to preferential rates on empty legs and one-way flights, based on aircraft availability. The VistaJet app was launched in summer 2017. The firm is an official supplier to
Scuderia Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari (; ), currently racing under Scuderia Ferrari HP, is the racing division of luxury Italian auto manufacturer Ferrari and the racing team that competes in Formula One racing. The team is also known by the nickname "the Pranc ...
.


Fleet

VistaJet operates Bombardier business jets and has the largest Bombardier super-mid to large business jet fleet in the industry. Its current fleet includes: * Bombardier Global 7500 *
Bombardier Global 6000 The Bombardier Global Express is a large cabin, long-range business jet designed and manufactured by Bombardier Aviation. Announced in October 1991, it first flew in October 1996, received its Canadian type certification in July 1998 and ente ...
* Bombardier Global 5000 *
Bombardier Challenger 850 The Bombardier Challenger 800, originally known as the Challenger SE, is the largest super-midsize business jet A business jet, private jet, or bizjet is a jet aircraft designed for transporting small groups of people, typically business e ...
*
Bombardier Challenger 605 The Bombardier Challenger 600 series is a family of business jets developed by Canadair after a Bill Lear concept, and then produced from 1986 by its new owner, Bombardier Aerospace. At the end of 1975, Canadair began funding the development ...
* Bombardier Challenger 300/350 VistaJet is reportedly Bombardier's single largest customer. In 2012, VistaJet placed US$7.8 billion in both firm and option orders for 142 Bombardier Global business jets. In 2013, VistaJet placed a firm order for 20 Challenger 350 jets and options for an additional 20 Challenger 350 jets, worth US$1.035 billion. In 2016, the fleet doubled to over 70 Challenger and Global aircraft. The firm has commissioned artists for
nose art Nose art is a decorative painting or design on the fuselage of an aircraft, usually on the front fuselage. While begun for practical reasons of identifying friendly units, the practice evolved to express the individuality often constrained by ...
projects. In 2011, the street artist Retna was commissioned to graffiti the tail of a Bombardier Global Express XRS, and, in 2013, an Ian Davenport design was commissioned by VistaJet and Fabergé for the tail of a VistaJet Bombardier Global 6000. The Davenport art piece coincided with a promotional campaign in which Fabergé eggs were offered to VistaJet clients as an in-flight jewelry purchase.


See also

* Fractional ownership of aircraft * AirSprint *
Flexjet Flexjet is an American provider of fractional ownership aircraft, leasing, and jet card services. Founded in 1995 as a division of Bombardier Aerospace, it is currently owned by Directional Aviation, an aviation private investment firm. Backg ...
*
NetJets NetJets Inc. is an American company that sells Fractional ownership of aircraft, fractional ownership shares in private business jets. Founded as Executive Jet Airways in 1964, it was later renamed Executive Jet Aviation. NetJets became the ...
* PlaneSense *
Wheels Up Wheels Up is a provider of "on demand" private aviation in the United States and one of the largest private aviation companies in the world. It was founded in 2013 by Kenny Dichter, using a membership/on-demand business model. Wheels Up members ...


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Vistajet Airlines established in 2004 Airlines of Austria Airlines of Malta Charter airlines