DragonFly, the executive air charter company based at Cardiff Airport, has announced the addition of a Cessna Citation C550 Bravo jet to its existing fleet of three King Air turboprops.
The arrival of the jet at Cardiff Airport was marked by a traditional water-cannon salute and was greeted by Howard Palser, Chief Executive of DragonFly, and Spencer Birns, Chief Executive Officer of Cardiff Airport.
Howard explained that whilst DragonFly’s existing fleet of three King Air turboprops was able to reach most destinations requested by their clients, the increased range and higher cruise speed of the jet, would enable clients to travel longer distances in a shorter flight time.
DragonFly was founded in 2004 by Howard, a former solicitor and pilot, to provide a service to the South Wales business community, enabling people to travel directly to destinations within the UK and Europe in a fraction of the time it would otherwise take, without the delay and inconvenience of having to drive to and fly from a major airport.
DragonFly passengers have the advantage of a 15-minute check-in, they choose the time they wish to fly, and pay only for the time their aircraft is airborne: from “wheels-up to wheels-down.”
Howard stated that DragonFly’s ongoing mission was to demonstrate that private flying was not just the province of the rich and famous but a cost-effective business tool that all people in business should consider – whilst international travel is now re-opening it enables travellers to control their own environment and fly within their own “bubble”.
Spencer Birns, CEO at Cardiff Airport, added: “DragonFly has been a valued partner at Cardiff Airport for many years, and it’s fantastic to see the business thriving, especially given these challenging times.
“Cardiff Airport’s airfield and runway operates 24/7, with no slot constraints, allowing us to facilitate general, private and commercial passenger flying 365 days per year.
“We welcome the addition of this new jet to the DragonFly fleet, and look forward to continuing our successful partnership going forward.”
The jet was added to DragonFly’s Air Operators Certificate on 22 December and is now available for charter.
