UK-based charter operator SaxonAir has added a second Citation Mustang to its charter fleet. The aircraft, G-MICE, is jointly marketed with Surrey-based Catreus Ltd and flies from a new satellite base at Thessaloniki in Greece.

"SaxonAir is the AOC operator," says managing director Christopher Mace. "The relationship with Catreus is to share the operational aspects using their crew trained to our AOC procedures and standards. SaxonAir and Catreus have worked together on charter flights in the past and it makes sense to combine resources to operate more efficiently."

He points out that Catreus has previous experience in southern Europe, while it is the first time SaxonAir has operated aircraft based overseas. "It will be managed from the operations centre in the UK," he adds.

The crew stay local to the aircraft and are also rated to fly another aircraft for the owner. Both Catreus and SaxonAir have worked together using each other's differing aircraft fleets over the past 12 months and as part of the joint management contract the companies will share each other's rated aircrew where possible.

As far as charter is concerned, the operators have some local clients but will mainly be marketing the aircraft to brokers from its new base.

"Our existing Mustang has proved to be a popular choice with our UK charter market. We are delighted to be able to offer jointly with Catreus the same cost effective service to new customers from a new European operating base," says Mace.

The new aircraft matches SaxonAir's existing Mustang and is equipped with the same latest Garmin G1000 avionics. "The Citation Mustang is firmly established as the benchmark entry level business jet," Mace adds. "Not only does it offer a great passenger experience, but it provides extremely cost effective and affordable flights while delivering the speed, efficiency and comfort that passengers expect."

SaxonAir's current fleet now consists of two Hawker 400XP jets (at Norwich and Edinburgh), a King Air 350 (Norwich), the two Citation Mustangs, along with Eurocopter EC120 and EC135 helicopters at Norwich and Redhill. Catreus manages two Citation XL/XLS and two Citation Bravo aircraft.

The additional managed aircraft is part of SaxonAir's ongoing expansion and comes as its new business aviation centre at Norwich airport nears completion.

SaxonAir was formed in 2007 when Christopher Mace and commercial manager James Palmer launched the company after over twenty years of business aviation experience, and was acquired by businessman Roger Klyne in May 2009.