TAG Aviation (Geneva) sees the flexibility of having four Air Operator's Certificates (AOCs) as the key to providing high-quality service to its global customer bases despite a cooling market.

"We are seeing a slight drift downwards in activity as we still try to define what the new 'normal' post-Covid looks like. 2022 was one of the busiest years on record for business jets, which certainly appeared to be a direct result of the gradual relaxation of Covid restrictions and more flyers choosing to buy business jets than ever before," Chief Commercial Officer Karl Mills told ch-aviation.

In Europe, the decline in overall demand has been offset by two large sporting events, the ongoing European football championships and, later, the Paris Olympic Games, which have bolstered charter demand. TAG was not surprised by the tapering off after record years, Mills stressed.

The Switzerland-based business charter operator and aircraft management firm currently maintains four AOCs: TAG Aviation (Malta), TAG Group (Cayman Islands), TAG Aviation (United Kingdom), and TAG Aviation San Marino and has over 70 aircraft owners as its customers whose requirements differ greatly. Having four AOCs in different jurisdictions allows TAG to tailor a "bespoke" product for each owner.

Mills conceded that the Maltese register seems to be growing fast, especially for customers willing to make their aircraft available for charters. This AOC "allows the greatest commercial freedom when operating within Europe," he said.

TAG Aviation no longer has an AOC in Switzerland, its home market. And if it were to set up other AOCs, it would need strong data and customer demand to justify any such move.

"All regulatory environments have their own eccentricities, and a working day-to-day knowledge of these is where the 'art' of managing business jets is demonstrated by an operator," Mills highlighted.

TAG Aviation operates a wide range of business jets and has no strategic focus on any one manufacturer or size. Its fleet includes ACJ318-100, Bombardier Business Aircraft Challenger 604, Challenger 650, Global 5000, Global 5500, Global 6000, Global 7500, Global Express, Global Express XRS, Gulfstream Aerospace G280, G450, G550, G650, G650ER, GVII-G600, Dassault Aviation Falcon 900LX, Falcon 2000LXS, Falcon 7X, and Embraer Executive Jets E505 Phenom 300 types.