Hondajet, Oxford Aviation Academy, Oriens Advisors among new speakers in VLJ Europe line up

Thursday 13th August, 2009

Some 100 plus industry delegates are set to gather at Oxford Airport, UK for the third annual VLJ-Europe 2009 event, organised by MIU Events.

Honda Aircraft, manufacturer of the large VLJ Hondajet, now progressing well in to its certification, will participate on the second day with an introduction to the aircraft and its mission for Europe. Embraer will also be speaking and will be using the event to fly in their new Phenom 100. Pilot training for VLJ pilots, a popular topic at the last year’s conference, will be addressed by Anthony Petteford, Managing Director of Oxford Aviation Academy. A new international organisation Oriens Advisors, headed by Edwin Brenninkmeyer, created to advise and invest in the VLJ sector will be making their debut at the event. Another confirmed speaker is newly established UK-based ConnectJets which is bringing a new approach to air charter broking. Founder and Managing Director Gabriella Somerville, ex SkyJet International, will review the entry level jet market from the brokers’ viewpoint. Eurocontrol and the Air Taxi Association will also provide views on how the light jet sector is progressing.

The afternoon of Day One will feature an operators’ session with contributions from JetbBird’s Stefan Vilner, the new Salzburg-based operator, as they prepare to make their revenue debut this autumn with the first of 50-plus Phenom 100 jets. Stefan will be joined by Blink’s Peter Leiman, who will provide an insight into how their first year of operations has developed. New operator, Ambeo Plc and established operator, London Executive Aviation, who have added VLJs/ELJs to their existing fleet, complete the UK representation, whilst Grossmann Jet Service from Prague and experienced US operator CFM from Nashville, complement the line-up.

The two-day programme will address the challenges facing operators who wish to establish themselves in the marketplace during what is an unprecedented downturn in the business aviation sector. Where are their customers going to come from; how will they fit in the overall business aviation market and how do the charter brokers view their business model? Additionally, the whole process of funding, owning, operating and understanding the legal implications of flying paying customers will come under the microscope as financiers, lawyers, tax consultants and regulatory compliance specialists provide a detailed analysis of the realities of ownership in the EU.

The third annual VLJ-Europe conference will be the essential meeting place for any operator, government agency, manufacturer, regional airport and planning authority, regulatory body, industry association, aviation lawyer, funding agency, FBO organisation, support and service organisation, pilot, consultant or any company with an interest or awareness of the potential for this market.

The delegate fee for the event is Euros 590. You can register online at the link below or contact the organisers on the number below: Special accommodation rates have been secured at a number of hotels all within a short range of the airport, including top of the range The Malmaison Oxford; the Holiday Inn, five minutes’ from the airport by car and The Feathers, a traditional country inn near the airport in Woodstock.

With thanks to sponsors Honda Aircraft, CFM (Corporate Flight Management) of Tennessee, USA and Flight Support, the Billund-Denmark based European flight planning specialist.

The delegate fee includes entry to all sessions including the evening reception at the end of Day one and the optional workshop on Friday afternoon, 25 September.

For the full conference progamme see: www.miuevents.com/vlj-e09.

Or contact Alan Perry, MIU Events. T: +44 208 332 2211.