Stats from above #11

Spring is almost at its peak, and you can see cherry blossoms in full bloom. And while cherry blossoms herald in warmer weather, in this case, we can use them to herald in the newest edition of our monthly blog, Stats from Above. In this blog series, we zoom in on some of the most intriguing statistics from the world of business aviation including popular destinations, busiest routes, and airports, as well as the most used types of jets. In this month’s edition of our blog, we’ll be focusing on the stats from March. If you’d like to catch up on the stuff you might’ve missed in our previous installment of this blog, we suggest you visit our Stats From Above from February.

Stats from Above

Let’s look at the stats provided by our colleagues from the EBAA. In March there were 1,448 active airportsin Europe accounting for 54,269 arriving flights. Right of the bat you can see that there were significant increases across the board compared to February. That theme is also reflected in the number of active aircrafts with 4,325, an increase of 107 aircrafts compared to the previous month. Turboprops have maintained their leading position accounting for 13,924 departing flights, Light Jets came in second with 9,607 departing flights, and closing up the top three was the Super Light Jets category with 6,943 departing flights.

Busiest airports and routes

Let’s take a look at the busiest airports by the number of arriving flights. March has seen another slight reshuffle on the list, with the Nice-Côte d'Azur airport (1,080), unseating the London-based Farnborough Airport from third place. Meanwhile, the Paris Le Bourget Airport and Geneva Cointrin Airport have maintained their first (2,140) and second (1,256)  places. Speaking of the Parisian Airport, interestingly it is one-half of the top three airport pairs. 145 flights took place from Le Bourget to Geneva Cointrin, 131 flights from Geneva back to Paris, and 86 flights from Nice to Paris.

In February London was a popular destination hosting a collection of major entertainment and sports events, including the BAFTAs and the Carabao Cup Final. However, March and the arrival of spring saw the French Riviera reclaim its popularity. The start of the month saw Nice bid farewell to one of its biggest entertainment events – the Nice Carnival which takes place over two weeks from February to March. In the middle of the month city also hosted the FOIRE DE NICE – an international exhibition of consumer goods that features more than 400 stands spread over 15,000 m2.

Jet of the month Cessna Citation Sovereign

March’s jet of the Month is the Cessna Citation Sovereign, manufactured by Cessna. As you might have guessed the jet is a part of the Cessna Citation Family of jets, which includes such popular private jets like the Citation XLS, Citation CJ3, or the Citation Latitude. The midsize jet has been produced since 2004 and it is based on the Citation Excel.

Based on the design and configuration the Cessna Citation Sovereign usually carries around eight passengers, who can count on travelling in style and comfort. The midsize jet is powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney Canada PW306C jet engines positioned at the rear of the airplane and can produce a cruising speed of approximately 460 knots or 850 kilometers per hour. Where range is concerned the Citation Sovereign can traverse a distance of about 2800 nautical miles or 5100 kilometers.

As for the interior of the Citation Sovereign, the midsize jet is decked out with back-to-back double club seating allowing for eight passengers to sit comfortably with ample leg room. The jet is equipped with folding tables that can be pulled out for work or dining purposes and folded away once they’re not needed anymore. A lavatory is also included on board and depending on the configuration, passengers can look forward to inflight entertainment on the equipped screens.

If you’re looking to purchase a Cessna Citation Sovereign, there will be several factors influencing the final price – the jet’s age, its design and configuration, how well it was maintained, and how many flight hours it has clocked during its service. Taking all that into consideration, on average, you’d be looking at a price of some US$7 million. The jet also proves to be quite popular among prospective spending around three months on the market once it's listed. So if you’re looking to purchase one you might want to be quick.

And if you’re in the market for a Cessna Citation Sovereign, but are unsure on how to go about purchasing one, don’t hesitate to contact us and we’d be happy to assist you on your journey.