Demand for private charters in the Benelux is increasing
The Belgian airline Air Charters Europe (ACE), subsidiary of the ASL Group, today launched its second charter aircraft at Antwerp Airport.
In May last year, ACE already presented its Embraer ERJ-135, an aeroplane that makes it possible for groups of 20 to 30 people to charter to the destination of their choice. That charter rental turned out to be a great success and the demand for private charters continues to rise. However, the capacity of the aircraft is not large enough for all groups. That is why ACE today launched its new ERJ-145 (registered in The Netherlands as PH-DWA) that can accommodate 42 people in Corporate Class.
“Our Embraer ERJ-135 has already traversed the whole of Europe in a year and for different clients at home and abroad,” says Philippe Bodson, CEO of ASL Group and Air Charters Europe. “Nevertheless, we notice that there is a need for more and larger charter aircraft. Football teams playing at European level and first-class clubs in France and Germany, in particular, require a capacity of at least 40 seats on charter flights. With the new ERJ-145, we want to offer an answer to this. The expectation is that the ERJ-145 will be even more charter hours than the ERJ-135.”
With its updated offering, ACE remains the only player in the Benelux to respond to this niche market. In Europe, too, the supply of charter aircraft for 20 to 50 passengers is still very limited. ACE, therefore, hopes to be able to grow every year and to add a new aircraft to its fleet.
