“We can fly you direct from Gibraltar non-stop to almost anywhere in Europe - and at times to suit you,” said Elizabeth Byrne of GibJets

GibJets has taken off with its Falcon 100 executive eight-seater jet, which carries four passengers in total luxury, with the option of a hostess and catering if required. Founded by property developer and Queensway Quay marina owner Paul Butler, the service has caused a huge amount of interest in Gibraltar business community, with requests for quotations to take groups and individuals to such places as Athens, Malta, Sofia, the Channel Islands and Geneva, amongst others.

Its value has also been quickly recognised by shipping agents as a way of getting vital ships’ parts to Gibraltar in a few hours rather than a few days. Liz told me that it can cost a ship owner $50,000 a day to sit in the port awaiting spares, and with no cargo being carried by the scheduled passenger flights the only alternative to bring spares from Britain would be by road, a couple of days’ journey if all goes well. “We can send our jet to pick it up and have it back here in a matter of hours,” Liz explained, adding that the cost would be a fraction of the port charges saved.

GibJets has entered into an arrangement with the Malaga-based aviation experts Mayoral Executive Jets to lease one of their fleet of Falcons. It is parked at Gibraltar airport, and when needed for a flight Mayoral sends down two pilots - along with a hostess if the customer wants in-flight service. At this end, Paul Butler’s company will arrange for food and drink, including special diets, as requested. GibJet’s aim is to be as flexible as possible in meeting the client’s needs.

Mayoral, established in 1985, takes care of all the international administration and maintenance and has an excellent record for reliability and punctuality. “If you want to be in England for 4.30 pm on Friday, we will make sure you arrive at a time as close as possible to that. In most cases there is no difficulty in agreeing a landing time,” Liz said.

In the case of the UK, at least, this flexibility is due to the fact that the major airports are not used. For London, you might be flown to Biggin Hill or Northolt, for example.

Another instance of flexibility is a recent case where a plane flew to London to pick up a passenger; flew him to the Channel Islands and waited for him to have his business meeting, then flew him on down to Gibraltar.

GibJets have had one hundred per cent cooperation from all the authorities at this end, including the RAF, Terminal Management and the government. The service has started cautiously and will develop as demand increases, but judging by the amount of genuine interest shown already, this should be very soon.

John Goncalves of Terminal Management and the RAF have been very positive about the launch of the air service and have come up with many solutions to make it a success.

With a reach of 3000 km and a speed of 900 km\h, the Falcon 100 is a twin-engine executive jet that can fly at 36,000 feet, and is a popular choice for corporate aircraft.

For more information or to obtain a quotation for up to six passengers or for cargo, call GibJets on +350 200 47990 or +350 580 09912; whoever answers will be able to deal efficiently with your enquiry.

© 2008 Insight Publications LTD