Page 67 - World Airnews Magazine March 2020 Edition

NEWS DIGITAL NEWS DIGITAL

A MAJESTIC BIRD THAT TRAVELS

PRIVATE

Falcon- the ultimate symbol of status and luxury

THE MOST POWERFUL ROLLS-

ROYCE BUSINESS AVIATION

ENGINE

aviation Rolls-Royce said, "This is a truly power its new flagship aircraft reaffirms
great moment for all of us and we are Rolls-Royce’s position as the leading
Two Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 engines very proud. The cutting-edge Pearl 700 is business aviation engine manufacturer.
have successfully powered the brand new a perfect fit for the Gulfstream G700 and The engine was developed at the Rolls-
Gulfstream G700 to the skies for the first will help the aircraft deliver an unrivalled Royce centre of excellence for business
time. combination of ultra long-range, speed and aviation engines in Dahlewitz, Germany.
The purpose-designed engine, the most performance. We have already achieved The Pearl 700 combines the Advance2 en-
powerful in the Rolls-Royce business jet more than 1,500 testing hours and 5,000 gine core, the most efficient core available
propulsion portfolio, is the power plant for cycles and we are fully committed to sup- across the business aviation sector, with a
Gulfstream’s flagship aircraft, the world’s porting the G700 flight test programme." brand-new low-pressure system, resulting
most spacious business jet. With more than 3,200 business jets in in an 8 per cent increase in take-off thrust
The Gulfstream G700, which used a service today powered by Rolls-Royce at 18,250lb compared to the BR725 engine.
30/70 blend of sustainable aviation fuel for engines, the company is the world’s leading The engine offers a 12 per cent better
its first flight, took off from Gulfstream’s engine supplier in this market. thrust-to-weight ratio and 5 per cent
headquarters in Savannah, Georgia, USA The Pearl 700 is the newest member of higher efficiency, while maintaining its
and landed two hours and 32 minutes the state-of-the-art Pearl engine family, class-leading low noise and emissions
later. The aircraft and its engines will now first introduced in 2018, and marks the performance. The result is an engine that is
undergo an intensive flight test programme seventh new civil aerospace engine intro- highly efficient, but also able to propel the
ahead of certification. duced by Rolls-Royce over the past decade. aircraft nearly as fast as the speed of sound
To keep traditions alive, the Middle own seat next to the owner and can even Dr. Dirk Geisinger, director business Gulfstream’s selection of the Pearl 700 to (Mach 0.925). Q
Eastern rulers sponsor several festivals sit on his arm during the flight. As long as
While most people can only dream and races during the winter, with prizes of their eyes are covered, the animal doesn’t
millions of dollars. At the President’s Cup,
of flying private, over 30 000 falcons in the a competition overseen by the UAE’s royal cause any trouble and will sit on the plane NEWS DIGITAL EVEN MORE CAPE TOWN
Middle East are enjoying luxury life at its family, the winner of the main event can in peace.
best. earn up to (US) $7.35 million. Just like the owners, falcons need FLIGHTS
These majestic birds are a symbol of Many falconry enthusiasts invest their own passports to travel, to combat
status and often used in a traditional thousands of dollars into their falcons smuggling. The document is valid for three
hunting sport -falconry, earning themselves and spend countless hours training truly years and there are even special laws British Airways is the only airline to offer year-round direct
a VIP seat next to their owners on the exceptional birds. The return on investment to prevent discrimination against these services between Cape Town and London.
plane. of the hobby can be impressive, as some of stunning birds. British Airways has announced a second increase to its South As well as the additional peak season flights to the Mother City,
Falcons hold a special place in the Middle these amazing animals are sold and bought “From the UAE to Morocco, people breed African services, adding three more flights between Heathrow and it also flies twice daily between London and Johannesburg. There
Eastern society. Culturally they represent for over (US) $500 000. and take care of these birds, and as a com- Cape Town this summer. are also three weekly direct services between the UK capital and
Durban.
courage, determination and freedom. It doesn’t stop there. Wealthy owners pany operating in the Middle East, we also The three services began in March and will operate until 19 April
Today, for those who have time and money even organise falcon ‘beauty contests’, get queries to transfer falcons regularly”, 2020. The schedule increase comes as British Airways rolls out a £6.5
to invest in it, there are few greater status including categories such as ‘thickest explained Igor Borzov, vice president of The news comes a week after the airline announced it would be billion, five-year customer investment plan. As well as taking
symbols than owning a competitive falcon. ankles’ and ‘most golden tint’. And it isn’t KlasJet Sales for the Middle East. increasing its services from Gatwick to Cape Town from three to delivery of 73 new aircraft, it is also refurbishing its long-haul
Over the past century, falconry fell out just the owners and the trainers who are “The pet market is one of the big ones five a week from January 2021. cabins, so they look and feel new.
of practice in the region, especially after earning money in the falcon industry. for any private charter business operating “Cape Town is always one of the most popular routes in our This includes the Boeing 777 fleet at London Gatwick, which has
it was banned in large parts of the UAE in There are specialised falcon hospitals in the Middle East - whether it’s a dog, cat, network, particularly early in the year as people in the northern the new-generation World Traveller and World Traveller Plus seats.
1975 to protect endangered species from offering specific health services for the or in some cases - a falcon. hemisphere seek to escape the cold and enjoy some time on the It has also significantly refurbished its lounge at OR Tambo,
being hunted. As the Middle East became birds, including x-rays, eye tests and even “However, not all small jet operators beach in the sunshine,” said Cristina Graham, British Airways redesigning it so it can comfortably host 247 customers and with a
wealthier, falcons became somewhat of a cosmetic surgery. can accommodate those needs. This is corporate commercial manager in Southern Africa. dedicated boutique dining space for First customers.
status symbol, especially after the Crown It’s become a routine for some falcon where players that have an aircraft, like the “The capacity increase is also good news for Capetonians Customers flying in the premium cabins as well as silver and gold
Prince of Dubai introduced falcon racing as owners to have their birds join them on Boeing 737-VIP, positioned in the region wanting to travel to the UK, Europe and the United States as it members of the British Airways Executive Club get free lounge
a sport in the early 2000s. board un-caged. Usually, falcons get their have the upper hand.”Q gives them more choice and flexibility.” access. Q

World Airnews | March Extra 2020 World Airnews | March Extra 2020
— 64 — — 65 —