30/11/2013 00:00
TW
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By Humphrey Carter

PALMA
THE pioneering British founded private jets share community unveiled this week in Majorca has enjoyed a phenomenally positive response from individuals on the island as well as the large real estate companies, luxury hotels, top class restaurants and helicopter companies.

CEO and founder of the VICTOR jet share scheme, Clive Jackson, said yesterday that, in response to the initiative being launched in the Bulletin on Wednesday, the website received over 180 new members and since then, participating companies such as Sloane Helicopters, have emailed their clients with the news and 80 percent have also registered with VICTOR.

Jonny Greenhall, Sloane Helciopter's Chief Pilot at their Majorcan base at Son Bonet airfield, said yesterday that the response has been overwhelming from his clients. “I think the concept is brilliant and most of our top end clients have welcomed the scheme with a sigh of relief. About 80 percent have registered already. “Apart from there being a severe shortage of flights between here and the UK - there are no flights north of Liverpool this winter - people are getting fed up with paying top whack for so-called low cost seats and then getting treated like cattle. “And then there's all the airport security to get through,” he said. “When we were paying 50 pounds for a ticket then we put up with it, but not anymore and we've known for a while that many of our top end clients have been getting increasingly frustrated with the lack of scheduled flights to the island,” he added. “What is more, most of the private jets flying around the Balearics either have just two people on board or are empty, so it will be an attractive proposition for the jet owners themselves,” Greenhall said. “I know we have the flights into London City Airport during the summer, but that's slap in the middle of London, you can't jump in the car and nip on home or wherever, this scheme will enable people to use airports all over the country, it is much more convenient,” he added.

In fact, Sloane and VICTOR make the ideal couple.
This year, Sloane was operating an Agusta 109 out of Palma and offering inter-island services.
Next year, Greenhall will be operating a 190 Grand, the VIP version, which will not only be able to run corporate or private jet clients round the islands but also on to Monaco or Andorra, for example. “It will be great. They can fly in on their private jet and we can have the 109 standing by to take them on to their final destination,.” Greenhall said. “There's a vast amount of wealthy people on the island or regularly visiting Majorca and this private jet share scheme is what they have all been waiting for,” he added.

To date, VICTOR has received several hundred registrations for membership from frequent travellers, many of whom fly from the UK to Palma between 6-8 times per year and over the past 48 hours, the number of potential members has risen significantly.

A number of these have been invited to participate in a closed user launch of the live site from December. The public launch will be in early 2011 when the route network will be expanded to include other major European destinations.