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If you need to fly more than 100 hours but less than 400 per year,
buying (or leasing) a fraction of a plane becomes an economical
option. With an 800-flight-hour basis per plane, a 1/4th share in
a plane would allow you to fly 200 hours per year, for instance.
This option makes your ownership operationally very
convenient. Here again, when your aircraft is not available, you
have access to similar planes fractionally owned by other participants
in the programme and managed by your operator contractor. In addition, if you have unexpected needs, you can negotiate on a case-by-case basis the use of a different plane from the one you bought a fraction of.
Last but not least, your contractor operator takes
full care of the in-house management of your asset (a “hassle-free
solution” for a monthly management fee), which would otherwise
prove to be a very heavy undertaking for you (recruiting of adequate
personnel, hangaring and maintenance, etc.). It is actually important
to note that, for the first time, you are actually buying an asset
and should have therefore to bear certain responsibilities attached
to it.
If this possibility looks like a convenient time sharing
contract, the fact that you actually possess part of a plane makes
your financial perspectives very different.
First, since the price of a share depends on the type
of plane you opt for, you can precisely calibrate your investment
to your actual needs.
Second, your overall cost is divided into three parts,
spread over the years in fixed and variable parts. For instance,
1/8th of a median plane would cost you around US$ 3,000,000 for
five years (including insurance and financing costs), with a one-
shot payment of US$ 1,300,000 for the share, your monthly management
fees of about US$ 13,500 each (you share with other fractionners),
and US$ 2,500 per hour (variable), corresponding to your fuel consumption.
Third, your interest in a plane is a financial asset
subjected to depreciation for tax leverage, and with a resale value
at the end of your five year contract that depends on the economic
conditions.
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