Crossover jets not only serve the niche between regional and mainline aircraft in scheduled services; they also fill a space in the executive marketplace that exceeds the capacity of the largest business jets.
For several years, UK aviation services group ACC Aviation has partnered with Florida-based, Bermuda AOC- holding charter operator Freedom II to provide private air services. Until recently, those operations were based around a Boeing 757-200, but the latter company has now acquired a pair of Embraer 170s for group charters.
Unusually, the aircraft operate in a 64-seat configuration rather than the standard 78-seat layout, which makes it suitable for a wide range of duties, say the two companies.
Operating out of Fort Pierce in Florida, the aircraft have a range of around 2,000nm: “It’s not sufficient for coast-to-coast, but most of our flights are around the Caribbean, in and out of the U.S. to Mexico and Latin America,” Freedom II’s director of operations, Kjell Lavoll said.
When Freedom II acquired the Embraers, which were previously in airline service, “We removed three rows of seats, to give us a 36-inch pitch.” That layout has proved comfortable for moving large groups on ad hoc charters. The 64-seat interior has proved to be ideal for sports teams, both professional and amateur. College sports teams, notably soccer teams and their backroom staff, are regular users.
However, the aircraft have also been used for golfing groups, corporate events, even wedding parties, where significant numbers of people have to be transported to a foreign location, he said.
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