PP is on a mad mission to gobble up as many CRJ-200 regional jets as it can; buying on the secondary market, according to the company, is no-brainer profit margin. Each aircraft will additionally undergo mechanical makeovers. The aircraft's amenities, similar to Bombardier's Global 5000, will afford 13- to 19 passengers to sit back in unadulterated comfort, compared with the plane's original mission: cramming 50 people on board for commercial hub-to-hub transport.
Taking a used CRJ-200 and refurbishing it to an all-new appearance costs around $20 million, which is less expensive than buying a new aircraft. This particular CRJ-200, according to PP, has a total of 20,000 hours logged. With its maintenance overhaul, PP said the aircraft would have a 3,000-nauctial range. PP said its move to secure its first CRJ follows its confirmation from Ritz Pacific Ltd. to accept the aircraft and place it with Jet Asia. However, it's a fliers-beware situation; JA's safety record isn't verified; no third-party audit of the operator's aircraft or crew could be verified.
Ritz, standing to make serious money--brokering deals--placing CRJ-200s with operators, is on a mission to accept as many aircraft that PP can acquire. Les Merszei, Ritz's managing director, said the CRJ-200's VIP conversation represented "a terrific proposition in this buoyant sector" of aviation. "Just too good an opportunity to pass up," he said. "We won't stop at one aircraft; there will be many more to follow."
