In a strategic and significant move, Lufthansa is into building up its own private jet fleet during this year. In this connection, a Cessna Citation CJ3, the first member of the new aircraft is ready for being delivered to the airline in April. On the whole, the nine new private jets are to enter into service during the forth-coming months. With the deliveries scheduled to begin in April, the nine aircraft meant for operation in the new fleet are chosen from the Cessna and Bombardier plane makers.

The present move by the airline aims to accommodate the surging demand. Actually, when compared with the previous year, the number of private jet flights operated by the company rose by 26 per cent in 2007.

As a result of this, the customer demand strongly outweighed the total capacity, during the year by around 25 per cent in an average, with as much as 60 per cent during peak months. However, the rate of customer satisfaction with the Lufthansa Private Jet (LPJ) service remains consistently at above 90 per cent. Now it can increase further.

Thierry Antinori, Executive Vice President Marketing and Sales at the Lufthansa Passenger Airline observed, "We are the only airline in the world to operate a successful private jet service alongside our portfolio of scheduled flights. In the premium segment, we offer our passengers peerless flexibility and exclusivity. With the LPG, we are once again setting the pace in a key trend in air traffic."