European charter operators are working hard to expand fleet capacities. Athens-based Gainjet will boost its G200 fleet to four by this summer. And a G450 is scheduled for delivery in the second quarter of 2008 followed by a G550 in the third quarter. But ceo Ramsay Shaban says that delivery lead times of up to four-and-a-half years are affecting overall plans to bring big wide-bodied aircraft on stream for charter. "Hence Gainjet is considering preowned large commercial airliners to convert to vip airliners."

Austria's Tyrolean Jet Services (TJS), which celebrates its 30th anniversary next year, plans to develop aircraft management into an expanding division. Martin Lener, md, says: "We are working on this project as the next stage to develop our company." The TJS fleet includes a CJ2, Citation VII, Dornier 328 and executive 328, and two Global Expresses, one managed for commercial operations.

Orders for a Global Express XRS and two Learjet 40XRs takes VistaJet's planned acquisitions to 17. Headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, with operations in Salzburg and Munich, VistaJet has since May last year ordered two 40XRs, two 60XRs, two Challenger 300s, five 605s and three 850s, as well as three XRS. Bing Chen, ceo, says: "We are committed to offering the full range of aircraft."

Spain's Grup XXI, which planned to launch a charter operation with a Falcon 900C and a Citation XLS, is to add a third aircraft.

Jacint Puigmarti, sales and product manager, says initial business levels called for another Falcon 900 to be added early in 2008.