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Private
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The level of comfort is superior to first class and the entire aircraft is yours. Samuel McLeod-Jones, aircraft operations manager, Crown
Offering tailored features, exclusive services and streamlined efficiency, Crown s private jets are taking air travel to a new level. Enjoy your flight. Custom-fitted Gulfstream jets provide a hassle-free journey for Crown guests
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t was the great British poet T.S. Eliot who wrote, “The journey, not the arrival, matters”. This sentiment could not be more apt when it comes to the sublime experience of travelling by private jet. Missing the airport queues, baggage restrictions and lengthy tarmac times that are all too common at today’s commercial airports, private flights allow commuters to journey in the pinnacle of five-star comfort and style. From culinary requests to varied itineraries and last-minute bookings, Crown Melbourne offers an exclusive flying experience. This extends to coordinating ground logistics, with a VIP chauffeur service delivering guests to private
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terminals, where its fleet of Gulfstream GV and GIV aircraft awaits. “We offer a bespoke service,” says Samuel McLeod-Jones, aircraft operations manager at Crown. “The level of comfort is superior to first class and the entire aircraft is yours.” Plush surrounds and flexibility are just some of the advantages of private travel. Once driven directly to the aircraft steps, passengers can expect little or no waiting time, with all formalities carried out on board, making the process swifter, more efficient and less conspicuous for commuters. No longer the sole domain of royalty, presidents and celebrities, this convenient mode of transport is gaining popularity among executive high-flyers.
Eschewed at the start of the global financial crisis as an unnecessary extravagance, private jets are now well and truly back on the radar. According to Jason Akovenko, Gulfstream’s vice-president for the Asia-Pacific region, private plane usage has risen from 1,000 business jets operating in 2001 to more than 2,100 today. “Business aviation offers flexibility, security and access to locations commercial air travel can’t rival,” he says. “Another contributing factor is the state-of-the-art technology available on business jets, which provides an office-in-the-sky environment, closely mimicking all the comforts and amenities you have on the ground, like Wi-Fi internet and access to luggage in flight.”
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The interiors of the aircraft were similarly revitalised, their muted colour scheme and luxurious fabrics – incorporating ostrich leather finishes, the finest carpets and exclusive timber-veneer cabinetry – modelled on the contemporary design of Crown Towers. The likeness extends to in-flight dining options. “Anything that’s available at Crown can be made available on the aeroplane,â€? explains Carney. “The food is prepared at Crown, chilled and sent out in special containers. Our flight attendants are trained in how to prepare and present it.â€? Whether your preference is bird’s nest soup from Silks at Crown Melbourne or Peking duck from Crown Perth’s YĂş, onboard offerings take in-flight cuisine to a new level. Fasten your seatbelt. There is no finer or more thrilling way to travel.
State-of-the-art technology provides an office-in-the-sky environment. Jason Akovenko, vice-president
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Gulfstream
Elegant interiors are a hallmark of the Crown fleet
Many private jets also offer bespoke interior finishes. Russian business tycoon and owner of Chelsea Football Club, Roman Abramovich, has the interior of his Boeing 767 clad in chestnut panelling and pure gold, while the owner of the National Basketball Association’s Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban, reportedly customised his jet to accommodate high ceilings and spacious chairs for the team’s tallest players. Crown’s fleet is no exception, says aviation manager Michael Carney. Its GV jets recently underwent an extensive reconfiguration to increase sleeping capacity.
“The goal was to achieve a nine-sleeping interior,� he explains. “Most corporate aircraft in this class only sleep six passengers. “We moved the whole interior forward and backward – we actually lengthened the cabin to enable nine people to sleep in the aeroplane comfortably. That meant we basically rebuilt the interior of the aeroplane from the back of the baggage locker to the cockpit, which hadn’t been done before.� With various bedding configurations available, from single to queen, a good night’s sleep is guaranteed, while communal areas facilitate socialising or business meetings during waking hours.
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