Press Release

Issued by Green Charter 2022.

April 7, 2009

In these troubled times of financial hardship and shrinking budgets one may expect that, of all industries, luxury air travel would be one of the worst hit. But Prague-based private airline operator Grossmann Jet Services does not share this view.

According to the Grossmann Jet Services' research, business jet travel in Europe is growing at double the speed of conventional air transport. There are now around 3,000 business aircraft in Europe today, with this number set to hit 4,600 by 2017. Moreover, the company believes today's increasingly competitive environment is likely to encourage more travel as business leaders concentrate on nurturing vital client relationships through face-to-face meetings.

The company has identified the Czech market as particularly underdeveloped in this area and estimates it could hold potential business of around Euro 20 million. In order to tap into this, Grossmann Jet Services has initiated an innovative collaboration with a select number of local travel agencies. "This is an opportunity for travel agencies, that are looking for new ways of generating income." Explains company CEO Dagmar Grossmann.

On February 26, 2009 Grossmann Jet Services organized a workshop with these companies to introduce their services and the private jet industry. Subjects covered included instructions on how to book a business flight, and how to deal with frequently asked questions.

The workshop included a discussion, which covered subjects such as price and security. Some questions were dealt with by Grossmann Jet Service's pilot Michal Hude_ek, who explained that crew training procedure for business jets does not differ from those of commercial flights. Indeed, Mrs. Grossmann added that her technicians have more time to spend on maintenance than at traditional airlines as business jets usually spend more time on the ground.

Regarding costs, an hour's trip can range between Euro 2,000 - Euro 6,000, depending on the distance and the size of plane. But this can still be economic for multinational companies that need fast transfer of staff between offices that have no direct flight connection.

Aside from the ability to prepare a plane for departure within 120 minutes of concluding the order, other perks of flying with Grossmann Jet Services include the luxury of being able to arrive at the airport as little as 15 minutes before departure. One can then fly directly to the airport nearest to the final destination with no need to change planes or to wait for luggage, as baggage is unloaded directly into a waiting car. Naturally all this happens in absolute privacy with VIP catering and state-of-the-art facilities that include a DVD player, satellite phone and internet access.

From airhostess to CEO

Originally from Vienna, Dagmar Grossmann has 25 years experience in the airline industry that started when she worked as an airhostess while studying in the 1980s. From 1991 to 2003 she ran the private airline Grossmann Air Service in Vienna, which grew into one of Europe's biggest private jet companies operating 15 aircraft in the late 1990s. In 2001 Mrs. Grossmann founded the consulting company Dagmar Grossmann Jet Consult in Vienna. Grossmann Jet Services was set up in Prague in 2004 and now operates three aircraft: Embraer Legacy, which can hold up to 13 passengers; Hawker 900XP, which holds eight; and the Citation Mustang for four people. The company is highly respected in the industry and has built up an impressive clientele of world-class celebrities that includes the likes of Brad Pitt, Glen Close, REM, and his holiness the Dalai Lama.