Comlux’s VVIP Boeing 767 offers exceptional comfort and luxury for the Gulf’s globetrotting elite

Comlux The Aviation Group is encouraging the Gulf’s elite travellers to see the world in style in its luxurious Boeing 767 as it boosts its prowess in the VVIP charter market and in the region.

Based in Bahrain, the long-range wide-body aircraft is well suited for heads of state, royalty and business leaders. Suitable for up to 60 passengers, the 767BBJ allows leaders and their aides to travel in extreme comfort and privacy at the front, while a spacious section at the back is fully dedicated to their delegation and entourage. 

There are very few 767s boasting these levels of luxury available for charter, says Comlux Chairman and CEO Richard Gaona, adding that the charter specialist is now looking at extending the services of the Boeing 767 to the UAE in the near future. “The B767 is a unique product. With it, we can fly a customer from the Middle East to the US non-stop. The aircraft is our flagship VVIP jet for charter and we are delighted to offer it to discerning clients.”

The Swiss-headquartered Comlux is a leader in VIP aviation services with a worldwide presence including a Middle East office in Bahrain.

Gaona has been the driving force behind the group’s growth and expansion for close to a decade. A French citizen and an aviation veteran, Gaona started his career in 1982 with Aerospatiale (now known as Airbus). An economic engineer from the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers (CNAM), Gaona worked with Airbus for over 25 years, rising to the position of Vice President at Airbus’s Executive and Private Division where he launched the Airbus Corporate Jet (ACJ) programme. During his eight years leading the division, he spearheaded sales of 120 ACJs across the world. 

Gaona then joined Comlux in 2007 and created Comlux The Aviation Group, extending the firm’s services to include aircraft management and operations, VIP charter, aircraft transactions, cabin design and completions, and aircraft maintenance.


LUXURY JET

Gaona tells Arabian Knight that the 767BBJ is an “amazing aircraft” capable of flying non-stop for 14 hours and 40 minutes with 60 passengers and 250 bags. The jet was totally refurbished to the highest standards in 2013, with Comlux investing $15 million on state-of-the-art GSM (global systems for mobile communications), wi-fi and inflight entertainment (IFE) while upgrading its interiors. “A well-appointed new interior like the one in the 767 would cost around $60 million,” Gaona points out.

The jet’s VVIP interior includes a private bedroom, private office, private dining room, and first class and business class sections with the galleys able to serve 60 VIP passengers over flights lasting up to nearly 15 hours.

The interiors are predominantly beige and white – colours which lend themselves to peace and quiet – while sound levels are also kept low as the jet is well insulated.  The first class seats also swivel 360 degrees.

The VVIP Boeing is also available for sale to businessmen looking to make an astute investment, and Comlux would also be willing to manage the aircraft on behalf of its future owner.


NEW AIRCRAFT

Since its creation in 2003, Comlux has specialised in managing VVIP aircraft. The company offers a comprehensive set of services to VIP customers who wish to have their own aircraft managed personally and professionally. This includes aircraft management, sales and acquisitions, cabin design and completions, and maintenance and engineering services.

In February, Comlux revealed it had purchased three brand new Airbus ACJ320 neo jets, all equipped with CFM engines, which are scheduled for delivery starting in 2019, further consolidating its position in the VVIP ultra-large cabin ultra-long-range aircraft market.

The Comlux order book now consists of six VVIP aircraft: three Airbus ACJ320 neos, two Boeing BBJ MAX8s, and one Bombardier Global 7000.

Comlux’s VVIP operator Fly Comlux, meanwhile, signed five aircraft management contracts in 2015 that included one Gulfstream 650, two Bombardier Global 6000, one Airbus ACJ319 and one Boeing 777BBJ.

“With the BBJ MAX8s ordered a year ago and the three ACJ320 neos, Comlux is providing its clients with a unique turnkey package solution including aircraft acquisition and cabin completion at Indianapolis (US). And with recent approvals as both a BBJ warranty and repair centre and the first independent ACJ service centre worldwide, Comlux America has demonstrated its focus on maintaining and improving best practices in the MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) industry,” says Gaona.

The new aircraft will be offered by Fly Comlux from its bases in Malta and Aruba, a Dutch Caribbean island.

Today, the Comlux-managed fleet comprises 20 VVIP aircraft: one Airbus ACJ318, three ACJ319s, one ACJ330, one Boeing 767BBJ, a 777BBJ, two Bombardier CL605s, a CL850, two Global 5000s, three Global 6000s, two Embraer Legacy 650s, one Gulfstream G650, one Hawker900XP, and one Sukhoi SBJ.

Gaona says the goal is to increase Comlux’s fleet on a regular basis. “Our plan is to boost our fleet with two to three aircraft next year including a Boeing 777,” he says.

As a group, Comlux now has some 500 people employed across its offices in Indianapolis, Zurich (Switzerland), Valetta (Malta), Aruba, Almaty (Kazakhstan), Moscow (Russia), Bahrain, Hong Kong and Macau. Gaona says Comlux is also looking to enter into new partnerships and has set its sights on expanding into mainland China.


REGIONAL FOCUS

Set up in Bahrain in 2010 to serve the business aviation, VIP charter and aircraft management market in the Gulf, Comlux Middle East is run by General Manager Mamdooh Ahmed.

Besides the VVIP Boeing 767 and Airbus jet, the regional office has crew, technical support and commercial staff located in the kingdom. “We need to stay in touch with our clients in the region 24/7,” Gaona says.

Comlux also recently signed an agreement with Texel Air to provide Middle East customers with dedicated MRO services on their VIP aircraft.

While Texel Air will provide hangar, maintenance and certification services at its 3,200-sq-m facility at Bahrain International Airport, Comlux will take care of system upgrades and cabin modification services by hiring high-skilled local craftsmen and engineers, managed and assisted by Comlux America experts on site.

The new service centre will provide quality maintenance and refurbishment works on ACJ and BBJ narrow-body aircraft. 

Comlux employs 60 people in Bahrain, while some Bahraini staff have also been posted overseas at its MRO and completions facility in Indianapolis. 

Commenting on business prospects in the Middle East, Gaona says that Comlux currently has just a handful of clients in Bahrain as customers remain cautious in the face of economic gloom. “We don’t have a robust clientele at the moment. But we are positive as private aviation is a long-term business,” he says.

However, Comlux held its own in the face of a challenging 2015 with five aircraft management contracts, he points out, adding that though there is stiff competition, Comlux holds the edge in the wide-bodied long-range luxury aviation market, which is its forte. 

He admits that the market is not as vibrant as it was two or three years ago due to the downturn and falling oil prices.  “However, I remain optimistic. In a couple of years, this will be behind us and the market will recover. Till then, we will continue to find ways to excel in this situation,” Gaona adds.