By Skies Magazine | May 16, 2016 Estimated reading time 6 minutes, 57 seconds.
Aurora has two aircraft based at Toronto Pearson International Airport, with the rest of the fleet split between Edmonton and Vancouver.
Bombardier and Aurora Jet Partners of Edmonton, Alta., celebrated a major milestone in February of 2016: the delivery of the 75th Bombardier Learjet 75 business aircraft.
The milestone was reached slightly more than two years after the first Learjet 75 entered service in November 2013.
Aurora Jet Partners’ new Learjet 75 is also the company’s first. It will help revitalize the corporate fleet, replacing some of the older entry-level light jets, specifically its Embraer Phenoms.
The newest aircraft in the now 12-strong fleet, the Learjet 75 has eight passenger seats, and fits well into Aurora’s portfolio. Fully half the aircraft in the Aurora fleet are Bombardier products.
Besides the Lear, Aurora operates a recently acquired Bombardier Global 5000, Challenger 604 and 605, and two Challenger 300s. The rest of the fleet includes a Hawker 900XP, an Gulfstream Astra SPX, two Phenom 100s and two Phenom 300s.
The Phenom 100s and 300s are short-range regional niche market aircraft, and are used for short trips in Western Canada (such as Edmonton to Yellowknife).
Replacing them with the eight-seat Learjet 75 as the entry-level aircraft will offer clients more flexibility, as well as presenting a more prestigious image.
Aurora has two aircraft based at Toronto Pearson International Airport: the Learjet 75 and a Challenger 300, with the rest of the fleet split between Edmonton and Vancouver.
“The Learjet 75 is a strong performer,” said Aurora president Bill McGoey, “We are trying to renew the fleet about every five years. We are adding new aircraft to best suit the needs of our clients, and phasing out some of the older ones.”
McGoey has been a huge fan of Bombardier aircraft since the 1970s, due in no small part to the fact they are Canadian. The Hawker and two Phenom 100s will soon be removed from the fleet as part of the company’s plan to renew its older light and mid-size fractional jet fleet.
The Learjet 75 purchase deal has options for two aircraft. One option will soon be finalized to provide a second 75 for the Toronto base. The third aircraft is planned for the Edmonton base.
A Global 6000 is currently under negotiation to help serve the long range end of the portfolio.
Aurora is also interested in the forthcoming Global 7000, but cannot foresee delivery before 2020 due to a large order backlog.
With only 40 hours on the new Learjet 75, it still sparkles and has a new car smell. The oval-shaped fuselage allows a fair bit of headroom while seated, and the flat floor gives a better impression of width compared to jets equipped with a channelled aisle.
The cabin is 6.2 metres long and 1.56 metres wide.
The Learjet 75 is equipped with double club seating as standard, with seats facing each other and foldable tables in between, a feature popular with customers for carrying out meetings en route.
Each passenger has a personal seven-inch video display equipped with Lufthansa’s niceview cabin management system. This provides flight information to the passenger, with geographical satellite-like map views and turnable aircraft icons. It can also be equipped with an extensive entertainment library.
The cabin is also equipped with a full audio system and a 12-inch high-definition monitor on the bulkhead. The Learjet 75 and Aurora’s Challengers are Wi-Fi equipped, a feature in high demand by corporate customers.
Skies was invited to check out the Learjet 75 on a sightseeing flight for the media. A smooth performance takeoff saw the jet rocketing off the ground from Pearson. The flight was comfortable and smooth, from the average 3,000 feet over downtown Toronto, Lake Ontario and over Niagara Falls and gracefully up to 45,000 feet (cruise altitude) for amazing views of Lake Ontario and Algonquin Park.
Service ceiling for the Learjet 75 is 51,000 feet, while the cabin pressure altitude is effectively 8,000 feet.
The aircraft is rated for Mach .81 high-speed cruise, and Mach .75 long-range speed. It has between four and five hours endurance, putting both Calgary and Florida in range from Toronto.
With a maximum of eight passengers, the jet is capable of carrying seven with full fuel for the best range.
Aurora Jet Partners president Bill McGoey stands with the brand new Learjet 75.
Fractional ownership
Aurora Jet Partners offers a suite of travel solutions from charter to fractional ownership options.
With seating between four and 14 passengers across the fleet, and regional to transcontinental range, versatility is the key. As charter users increase usage they can opt for small share fractional ownership packages.
These are usually geared to a specific aircraft; however, if a trip requires more passengers and a larger aircraft, credits can be transferred to accommodate. Aurora plans for about 600 flight hours annually on the new jet.
Aurora Jet Partners was established in 2007 as a separate division of Morningstar Air Express, a Canada-wide express cargo business that operates an ATR 72-200F, five Boeing 757-200Fs and seven Cessna 208 Caravans under contract for FedEx Express.
“Aurora Jet Partners is one of the most innovative and progressive private aviation companies in Canada that specializes in providing custom tailored, high-quality private travel solutions to a growing list of discerning clients,” said McGoey. “We intend to grow the managed and fractional ownership side of our business by adding a modern fleet of Learjet 75 aircraft, which offer tremendous value and utility to our customers and are in a legendary class of their own. We hope to have additional Learjet 75 aircraft in service by year end if 2016 goes as planned.”
