BAA Jet Management Ltd is to acquire an Airbus A318 Elite, adding to the Airbus Corporate Jetliner (ACJ) that it ordered earlier this year and ensuring that it will have a strong presence at the upper end of the top-of-the-line business jet market.

The deal highlights the ACJ Family’s leadership in high-end corporate jets in Asia.

BAA Jet Management will operate its A318 Elite from Shenzhen, near Hong Kong, and it will be based, and registered, in the People's Republic of China. Like the company's Airbus ACJ, it will comply with the new Chinese CCAR Part 135 rules.

One of the leading aviation companies in Asia, BAA Jet Management offers a complete range of business jet services, including VIP charters, aircraft management, flight support and aircraft sales and acquisition. Handling aircraft that are registered in the USA or the People's Republic of China, BAA Jet Management has bases in Beijing, Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

"Our customers will be impressed by the big jet comfort and spaciousness that Airbus' A318 Elite brings to a broader market, where it is unmatched in offering discerning travellers so much more," says BAA Vice Chairman Jay Shaw. "The extra comfort that the A318 Elite delivers on long flights will be of especial appeal to our Asian clients, while comprehensive commonality between our A318 Elite and Airbus ACJ is also a big plus for us - as are the aircraft's modern designs and reliability," he adds.

Like its Airbus ACJ, BAA's A318 Elite will be powered by CFM56-5 engines.

Airbus' ACJ Family, comprising the A318 Elite, ACJ and A320 Prestige, has just reached the milestone of 100 sales. And with more and more corporate jet travellers experiencing the huge leap forward in comfort that it offers over traditional business jets, demand can only grow.

"Any business jet can transport you in an exclusive manner, but only the Airbus ACJ Family can do it in such comfort and style, with unmatched ease of movement throughout the cabin," says Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers, John Leahy. "Fly the the best and forget the rest," he adds.

Evolved from the perennially successful Airbus A320 Family, which now has more than 5,300 firm orders and around 250 customers and operators to its credit, the Airbus ACJ Family aircraft in service are never far from a fellow operator or maintenance base.