Kansas City-based fractional ownership company Airshare has placed a firm order with Bombardier for four Challenger 3500 super mid-size business jets with an option for 16 more.
Through the agreement, Airshare plans to double the size of its Challenger fleet to support the demand from fractional ownership customers.
In May 2021, Airshare entered the super mid-size market with an order for up to Challenger aircraft. As it moves to exercise the options as part of the original order, the new commitment for Challenger 3500s underscores the market interest, the company says.
“The response we have received to the Challenger entering our fractional program has been tremendous, from both new and existing customers,” says John Owen, Airshare president and CEO.
Th Challenger 3500 program was launched in September 2021 as an upgrade to the Challenger 350. It entered service in September 2022. The upgraded aircraft includes a voice-controlled cabin to manage lighting, temperature and entertainment systems, wireless chargers throughout the cabin and a 24-in, 4K display. It includes as standard equipment an auto throttle system and other features. It was the first business jet in its segment to have an Environmental Product Declaration published to document its environmental footprint over its life cycle. The aircraft is powered by two Honeywell HTF7350 turbofans, providing a top speed of Mach 0.83.
