Belgian operator ASL Group has welcomed the newest member of its fleet, a Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet G2. The aircraft landed at the international airport of Antwerp-Deurne, ending its delivery flight from the Cirrus Aircraft delivery centre located in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA where the aircraft departed a few days earlier. It is the first Belgian-registered Cirrus Vision Jet to be delivered by Cirrus Aircraft, and it is the first single engine jet ever operated in Belgium.

The Cirrus Vision Jet is a ‘personal jet’ aimed primarily at pilot-owners. The single engine jet offers seating for up to five passengers in a modern, spacious and comfortable cabin and flies up to a maximum range of 1,275 nm at a cruising speed of 305 kts.

The jet includes safety features such as the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) that allows the aircraft and its occupants to safely return to the ground in the event of a major and non-recoverable emergency; as well as the Safe Return autoland system, a system that allows passengers to activate, with the simple touch of a button, a fully automated landing of the aircraft without any manual input required from the crew or from the passengers. The Cirrus Vision Jet is currently the only jet aircraft to include these unique systems as standard equipment.

The aircraft will be based in Antwerp, Belgium and will be operated by ASL Group, under its recently re-structured Blue Sky Club, launched in 2010 as an aircraft membership programme. With the introduction of the Cirrus Vision Jet, ASL is now also introducing its new fractional ownership model and intends to further expand this new model with additional aircraft in the near future.

CEO Philippe Bodson says: “I am thrilled to welcome Belgium's very first Cirrus Vision Jet into our fleet. Over the last couple of years, ASL Group has either been the launch customer or the first operator of several new aircraft types, thanks to the incredible work, commitment and dedication of our teams and to the high level of trust that we have been able to establish with our customers and with our partners within the aviation industry. The arrival of this brand new state-of-the-art jet proves once again that we are at the forefront of innovation and entrepreneurship, and it makes me really proud, especially in such a special and challenging context.

“Not only do we welcome this aircraft as the latest and newest member of our fleet, but along with it, we are also very excited to be launching our new fractional ownership model, through our exclusive Blue Sky Club aircraft membership, and now fractional ownership, model. This is yet another very important milestone in the development of our company and of our customer-centred services.”