Flanker Yup, paranoia then!
LGW Vulture In the know? Us?! Individualy we all think we are, but then collectively we all convince each other we're not!
However, having spent the last three years studying fractional ownership v. charter closely (know your enemy!) I don't honestly know that fractional ownership is failing in Europe, I just think that it's being compared with the American market all the time, which is not a very fair comparison.
Aircraft ownership, particularly business ownership, is very high in the States, as is business aircraft charter. Neither of these are particularly big within Europe - go and look at the aircraft at Signature Luton for example; the majority of the big stuff is US registered. Until this culture can be changed then the market in Europe is never going to be on a percentage par with the States.
Without a doubt NetJets have had an effect on the market that is here though. As an operator we have seen a reduction in the number of American clients on intra-European flights (and an increase in the number of "CS-DXX's" flying around Europe!).
Having looked closely at it you come up with a number of places where fractional falls down on the typical charters that are flown in Europe. However, I don't think it would be of benefit to anyone to list them here - except NetJets and they probably know it already!
I would agree that FlexJet has lost out to NetJets though through being the second American fractional to come over here, it's like any famous product "Hoover" and "Coke" for example. When I talk of fractionals, I tend to use "NetJets" .
So, I don't think it's a case of market presence or penetration. I think the fractional market has been found in Europe and it's just the case that the market is smaller than they'd envisaged.
It is a damn shame that Europe doesn't grasp the US Bizjet culture, but at the same time, being selfish, it's not too much of a shame that they don't grasp the fractional culture!
(Edited for dimwitted spelling...)
[ 22 November 2001: Message edited by: Daifly ]