Europe plans to enter the fledgling space tourism market by offering a chance to experience weightlessness to help pay for scientific research.

Novespace, a unit of France’s CNES space agency claims to be leading the field in scientific deployment with a converted Airbus A300 jetliner. With Europe’s space ambitions facing a budget squeeze due to the weak economy, the plan to mix science with adventure was unveiled in a “zero G” flight for European space agency chiefs on a converted Airbus jet.

Passengers feel twice their normal weight during the steep climb and descent but experience 22 seconds of weightlessness along the crest of the arc when engine power is sharply reduced.

The Novespace ticket sales would not aim to make a profit but would help sponsor research carried on board. The price tag would be 3,000 euros ($3,900) for 30 parabolas or 22-second bursts of weightlessness – 11 minutes in all.

Trips like these are pretty affordable and cost a fraction of the $30-35 million paid by wealthy individuals for the ultimate ride into orbit. But the only difference with weightlessness as felt in space is the time spent afloat !

A taste of the good life, on us….

French aircraft manufacturer Dassault has introduced a jet that changes the playing field for business jet manufacturers operators and pilots. That jet is the $50 million Falcon 7X.

The Falcon 7X is perhaps the most coveted ultra-long range private jet in all of Europe and flies faster, further and higher than its predecessors.

It is the largest Falcon tri-jet business aircraft produced, and Dassault states that the Falcon 7X is the world’s first fly-by-wire business jet.

Launched in May, Geneva-based LunaJets helps travellers to purchase empty leg flights at substantially reduced prices. Empty legs are private jets returning home empty, and LunaJets offers them at prices as low as 50 to 80% off full private jet fare.

Its purpose is to offer passengers who currently fly business class, first class or the ex-Concorde passengers an affordable option to “upgrade” to the many advantages of business aviation travelling.

On lunajets.com you find a list of empty legs within Europe but also transatlantic, to and from Russia and the Middle East. Once you find the one that suits you, logon and buy your flight with your credit card.

LunaJets will call you to confirm your flight and organise your departure schedule. Registration is free, includes a personalized card, email alert on your favourite routes as soon as an empty leg is posted, but also offers an on-demand customized flight quotation service, and very soon a Jet Share forum where you can find other members willing to share a flight with you.

“It is the first time jet operators” explains LunaJets CEO Eymeric Segard, “have the option, for free, to offer and sell their empty leg flights directly and transparently to passengers, who in turn benefit from greatly discounted fares”.

LunaJets has developed a pricing structure that is fixed, and for the first time in the industry, open for all to see. “We calculated prices that are low enough for passengers to pay that extra premium to fly private but high enough to make it interesting for the jet operators.”
He adds “The prices are calculated on the flight time independent of cabin size, and allows passengers to compare our prices with commercial fares and discover the amazing value offered”.

Passengers can buy individual seats on flights shorter than 2h30min such as London to Paris or London to Geneva, or the whole cabin (8-14 passengers) for longer flights such as Dubai to Moscow or Dubai to London
LunaJets works with jet operators who have all their licence and insurance certificates up-to-date and only use aircraft that are younger than 15 years.

With such a simple concept and such an user-friendly website, LunaJets is making flying on private jets accessible to many more, and bringing to the industry new valuable investors.
By offering benefits to both travellers and jet operators LunaJets’ model offers a win-win proposition that could therefore prove to be more sustainable than creating a brand-new airline, particularly during difficult economic times.

Per seat:

London-Paris €890 ($1,200)
London-Geneva €990 ($1,350)

For the whole cabin (8 to 14 passengers):

London-Moscow €12,500 ($17,000)
London-New York or Dubai €25,000 ($34,000)
London-Los Angeles €50,000. ($68,000)

The Hawker 450XP is the latest jet from Hawker Beechcraft and is the successor to the highly acclaimed Hawker 400XP. Based on the interior of the 900XP, it’s the most comfortable, most elegant and best equipped cabin ever offered in a light jet !

The Hawker 450XP also features significant improvements over the 400XP including a completely redesigned cabin and infotainment system, the Cabin Management System Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21, allowing individual passengers to utilize their personal electronic device of choice to catch up on work or enjoy a customized in-flight entertainment system.

The plane uses the new Pratt & Whitney PW535D turbofan engines which provide ten percent better fuel efficiency and a longer range.

Booming global demand for new business jets is expected to continue through the end of 2009 despite recent oil-price shocks and economic turmoil, according to the latest forecast by aerospace supplier Honeywell International Inc.

Lately it seems that the private jet revolution is bigger in Europe than in the U.S. The latest new fractional ownership and charter brand Jet Republic, a new company set to take on the European leader NetJets Europe.

Jet Republic has bought 110 Bombardier Learjet 60XRs which is a full 25 orders and 85 options valued at $1.5 billion which is said to be the largest single business jet order in European aircraft history.

The venture recently launched and will sell a Jet card at 130,000 euros ($190,000) for 25 hours of flying time. Jet Republic has arrangements with 30 business aircraft operators throughout Europe to provide charters for their customers.