Nextant Aerospace has been pleasantly surprised by the level of interest shown in Europe for its 400XTi remanufactured light jet, of which six are currently flying on the continent, and forthcoming G90XT turboprop. The company expects that interest will continue to grow, and has expanded its sales network in the continent.

“The 400XTi is clearly the right aircraft for the region and we are proud to bring our new sales partners on board in Europe,” said Jay Heublein, executive v-p of sales and marketing. “As European economies are showing signs of sustained growth, aircraft buyers are keen to leverage the value of business aviation at the lowest cost. However, customers are still demanding market-leading range and speed, with a spacious and quiet cabin.”

This week Nextant is signing three sales representation agreements. FortAero has been sales agent in Russia for a year, and operates two 400XTis in the country, but now has had its sales territory expanded to include the Francophone region of Europe: Belgium, France, Luxembourg and Switzerland. The company is partnering in its sales efforts with luxury Swiss watchmaker De Bethune, which enjoys strong relationships with high-net worth individuals and corporate entities in Europe.

For the markets in the UK, Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and Ireland, SaxonAir (part of Klyne Aviation Group) has been appointed as the Nextant sales representative. In the summer the operator will add a 400XTi to its AOC, making it the UK’s first operator. SaxonAir managing director Chris Mace remarked, “As the UK emerges from its austerity programs there is a strong focus on value for money. The great thing about the 400XTi is that there is no tradeoff between price and performance. The aircraft is a proven money-maker for companies and as a charter aircraft.”

The third new sales entity is Nextant Poland, owned by luxury vessel manager Power Boats Poland. As well as the promise of the 400XTi, Nextant Poland sees a bright future for the King Air C90-based Nextant G90XT. “Our customers have come to depend on us to advise them on the right equipment and to support them,” said general manager Maja Darowska. “The 400XTi has earned its reputation, and with the value proposition of the G90XT we foresee similar success.” Elsewhere in Europe Time Air already covers central Europe, while JetHQ is the representative in Turkey (and Middle East territories).

Nextant’s G90XT remanufacturing program is being undertaken with key partners Garmin (avionics) and GE (H75 engines). The latter are manufactured at a facility in Prague in the Czech Republic, which will also provide maintenance support for Europe. Nextant is to open a completion center for the G90XT there and also a completions showroom for the EMEA region.

To cater for a growing fleet Nextant has put in place a worldwide support network with 24/7 service. With a global parts distribution service and strategically located depots, the network has demonstrated an average AOG return-to-service time of less than nine hours. There are currently 13 authorized service centers, eight of which are in the U.S. In Europe, service centers are located at Augsburg, Germany, and in Geneva at Jet Aviation. Elsewhere there are centers in Dubai, Singapore and Johannesburg, South Africa. Beyond its current network, Nextant has plans to open further centers in the UK, India, China and Australia.