Swiss charter operator Sonnig has begun operating its latest aircraft, a Challenger 604, which it plans to use for worldwide charter services. The managed aircraft joins a fleet of six other aircraft, including a Sabreliner 65, a Challenger 601 and a Citation CJ2.

The aircraft will fly most often between Moscow and Tunis, where its owner divides his time. But the aircraft will be available for charter throughout Europe and will beavailable wherever it is needed, according to director Mikael Oscarsson.

The CL604 has a standard nine-seat configuration, although the seat-belted toilet seat is also classed as an extra seat when required, Oscarsson pointed out.

The company plans to add further to its fleet, most likely with a long-range aircraft, to meet the growing demand for more space and more flexibility. Business clients often opt for a large aircraft to allow them to travel to conferences and meetings with large numbers of staff, enabling them to hold meetings onboard.

“It’s an exciting time to be in this business. The market is very good,” he said. “It is creating new customers in the eastern and Asian countries and the customer base within Europe is increasing too.

“People there are finding that the difference in price between travelling first class and chartering an aircraft is not that big, especially when you compare time savings, ease of travel and security. Everybody’s profiting from it and it seems that everyone’s busy.”

Eastern European countries as well as Asia are using charter aircraft more often, as is Russia, where the size and terrain of the country makes travel difficult and time-consuming. Russia has been a regular contributor to the charter market for a few years, Oscarsson explains.

Economic growth within the country has resulted in more wealthy customers, which has led to increased demand. The oil business also generates a demand for air charter. “If you follow where the oil rigs are, that means West Africa and the Middle East. Of course, those countries which have recently joined the EU also need to travel.”

The company acquired a Citation Ultra in July of this year, for use around Europe. Sonnig plans to add more aircraft to its fleet but “needs some room to breathe before we make our next move,” said Oscarsson.