GainJet Aviation of Greece has brought its latest corporate airliner into service – a Boeing 737-400 with 68 vip seats. The aircraft was delivered in September to the company's home-base of Athens and was added to the GainJet AOC. It was then repositioned to Manchester airport in the UK and is now available for charter, having already received a booking from an international football team.

The operator purchased the B737-400 from KLM Royal Dutch Airlines in October 2012. Immediately following the purchase, KLM was contracted to undertake all the maintenance and completion work at its Norwich facility where it was completed in mid-September. In addition to executive seating, the 737 has a baggage hold that can accommodate up to 5.7 tonnes of luggage, along with a six-hour flight range. As a medium range aircraft it is expected to be popular for corporate shuttles, heads of state and rock bands.

The latest acquisition is the third B737 to have entered the GainJet fleet. Company president Captain Ramsey Shaban says: “Our two B737-300s were popular aircraft and served our markets well, but they had a few limitations, specifically related to size. We have noted an increase in demand from larger groups and with the increased length of the B737-400 we can accommodate more passengers in a larger, spacious cabin which is complemented by greater baggage hold capacity. The aircraft's recent refurbishment combined with its younger age means it is in pristine condition.”

The company has of late focused expansion on the wide-body aspect of operations, in terms of both service and equipment. “This is a unique part of the industry that can also be challenging, but with our broad range of experience as a vip operator we continue to offer an extensive fleet ranging from private executive jets like the G450, G550, Challenger 604, and Global Express XRS to our vip Boeing executive airliners,” continues Ramsey.

GainJet has recently moved to new coastal offices near Athens to accommodate its growing team. There are also plans to continue to make fleet additions in response to market demand. “We are looking to acquire more executive airliners and continue to improve and grow in this direction,” Ramsey concludes.