Speaking exclusively with EVA about the timing of the announcement, Defforge said: “We identified a market need for a new segment, a new value proposition. We’ve also seen the resilience of business aviation; it’s recovering strongly. On top of that, all the commitments to our backlog are still confirmed and we’ve seen new orders signed in 2020. That’s why now is the right time for the announcement, even though this is a difficult time for the wider industry.”
Richard Gaona, Executive Chairman & CEO at Comlux, is excited by the combination of wide cabin, long range and comfort the ACJ TwoTwenty offers. “On top of that, it’s also an extremely advanced aircraft. I believe a major difference compared to other jets will be that everything involving internet connection or communication in the cabin will be controllable via an iPhone.”
With cabin humidification as standard, and a cabin altitude of just 6,000ft, plus an extensive catalogue of cabin options, the ACJ TwoTwenty promises guaranteed comfort and passenger well-being even over its maximum 12+ hours endurance or 5,650nm (10,500km) range. But that’s not the end of the story.
“The aircraft can also operate off short runways, and still fly long range,” Gaona says. “And it has much lower maintenance costs; we are partnering Airbus on the first 15 cabins and we bought two aircraft, so we’ve checked the aircraft in detail. As an operator therefore, I believe that with the combination of the ACJ TwoTwenty’s reduced maintenance costs, range and comfort, Airbus has a fantastic product in this market segment.”
Gaona expects delivery of the first green ACJ TwoTwenty by December 2021. “Completion will take around 14 months,” he reckons, “so by the beginning of 2023 we should have the aircraft in service.” He and Defforge expect subsequent completions to be a little faster.