Austrian operator Amira Air is taking on an additional Challenger 300 as it marks its tenth anniversary. Md Ingmar Bublik explains the story so far: “We started out in 2004 with the delivery of a Learjet 60 for our owner. At the beginning it was not our intention to be an operator, it was more a case of operating aircraft for family and friends.

“The owner was not very satisfied with the offers he got from other management companies, so he thought that he would rather do it himself, so that he knows what he is paying for.”

After flying the Learjet for a year, the company started to be approached by third party owners who were looking for a management solution. Through expanding step by step, the company has now amassed 15 aircraft, and it took on its first factory new Challenger 300 in 2006. The latest aircraft takes the Challenger 300 total to nine, and Amira also holds four Global Express, a Challenger 604 and a CJ2+. It was also the launch customer of the Global Vision in April 2012, including the jet with serial number I. This aircraft was eventually delivered to ex Formula One driver Niki Lauda, who remains a client to this day.

The company now employs 103 staff, more than 60 of which are flight crew. It does not own any aircraft, and five aircraft in the fleet are in third party charter use. Continues Bublik: “With the rest of the aircraft, either the owners don't want other people than themselves flying in it, or they are using the aircraft so much that there is not really the possibility to charter it out to third parties.

“It is up to every aircraft owner to make the decision. Third party use gives a bit of financial support to the aircraft's running costs.”

Looking back over the past five years, he admits that 2008 and 2009 were especially tough, but does say that since then he has seen consistent recovery: “There were quite a few operators who went out of the market, and the rest have stayed in there in healthy shape. So I feel the market is good.

“Austria is very unbureaucratic as far as regulations are concerned from the authority. So this means that we can have a Challenger 300 commercially registered as a brand new delivery from the factory, within 24 hours. It is the same on the Global 5000, because Austro Control has delegated the registration process initially to Amira, so we can prepare everything. That is a very attractive sales proposition to owners.

“Owners, as soon as they make the investment, want to go and fly. They don't want to see it sitting around.”

He is especially complimentary of the Challenger 300 model, and cites a very high dispatch reliability. Amira has flown over 25,000 hours on the type and Bublik says the price is 'tempting' for potential buyers. “You can see by comparing it to other super midsizes – and there are maybe four that you can really consider – the 300 is really making a statement: 430 aircraft have been sold within the last nine years.

“If you have an aircraft that sells well then all the rest of it, including the operational life, is much easier. This, I feel, is the very strong advantage that Bombardier now has with the Challenger 350.”

He is aiming to have a steady growth of one or two aircraft. “We don't grow too quickly, in order to maintain our proven qualities. Whenever our organisation is ready for an aircraft, we go out in the market and look out for one. Otherwise, we are not going to accept it.

“We are not aiming to be the biggest operator. We want to remain at about 20 aircraft. We have 15 now, so it will be a slow growth through next year. We want to keep the quality and client base, so we are not aiming for the stars.”