A new local company is poised to launch Gibraltar’s first home-grown business aviation service.
Gibjets, which aims to be operational by next month, will target the corporate market primarily but will also carry high-value parcels and handle emergency medical flights.
The company has leased a Falcon 100 six-seat executive jet capable of reaching most European cities non-stop and will operate from Gibraltar airport.
If needed, the plane can be transformed into a top-class air ambulance within just 25 minutes.
The driver behind the company is property developer and marina owner Paul Butler, who has been working on the project with his team for the past six months.
“Everyone can see that there are more and more private jets using the airport,” he told B2B. “The tripartite agreement has opened up the world for Gibraltar and we saw a gap in the market.”
“If that hadn’t happened, we wouldn’t have done this.”
Gibjets has struck an agreement with Mayoral Aviation, an established Malaga-based operator of executive jets.
Mayoral will provide experienced pilots and maintenance personnel for Gibjets’ plane and will also act as a broker for the Gibraltar company. Likewise, Gibjets will act as a broker not just for its own aircraft, but also for those of Mayoral.
In effect, the deal gives both companies increased flexibility to respond to customer needs.
“This works on a first come first served basis,” Mr Butler said. “But the agreement with Mayoral gives us the flexibility to limousine customers to Málaga if we have to and put them on one of their planes.”
At a basic level, the market for the service includes senior executives flying to do business on the Rock and its environs, as well as Gibraltar’s own legal and financial executives who regularly conduct business elsewhere. There is also likely to be demand from wealthy travellers heading to and from the Sotogrande area.
However, Mr Butler and his team see greater scope in developing the business. They talk about flying high-value freight, for example IT components for locally-based companies. They also believe there is scope for business in the maritime sector, where prompt delivery can often mean getting a ship underway swiftly and therefore saving thousands in demurrage costs.
This is new ground for Gibraltar and despite the confidence of the Gibjets founder, it remains to be seen exactly what demand there is for this service.
Nonetheless Mr Butler is clear how he will react if his new venture, literally, takes off.
“If I can see potential in it, I’ll bring in another plane,” he said.
The newbie airline boss also had nothing but praise for the Gibraltar Government, the airport staff and the Ministry of Defence.
“Everyone has bent over backwards to help us get this going,” he said.
Gibjets hopes to formally present the company at a reception at Gibraltar airport mid April.