Although Project Phoenix was started to provide an alternative for those facing years of waiting for a new business jet, the company is continuing despite the drastic change in market conditions. The company announced the first flight of one of its refurbished Canadair Regional Jets in executive configuration on June 12 and said the flight was flawless. The flight occurred at Flying Colours, the completion center in Peterborough, Ont. With used inventories climbing and new aircraft backlogs evaporating, Project Phoenix has shifted marketing strategy to the performance and features of the rejuvenated regional jets, most notably the long-range carrying capacity.
The aircraft flown last week is going to Jet Asia in Macau and will seat up to 15 people with amenities like iPod stations, Internet and satellite communications. It also has long-range fuel tanks, giving it a maximum range of more than 3,000 nm. It can take the full fuel load and up to six passengers while full fuel cuts the payload on some other business aircraft to as little as 200 pounds. The payload capacity is the result of weight cutting in the interior finishing. “This is extremely gratifying news and pretty much what we predicted. Well done to Flying Colours for their weight reduction program,” said Project Phoenix President and CEO Mike Cappuccitti.
