European Aviation has acquired a B737-700(BBJ), registered as 2-BIGG, to enter the VIP aircraft market, with service planned for March 2026, pending engine availability.
The 19-year-old aircraft, configured for 13 passengers, was previously operated by Global Jet Luxembourg and is now parked at Oxford Kidlington. The company is seeking CFM56-7B engines for lease or purchase to operationalise the aircraft, which will be based in the UK under a third-party air operator’s certificate.
European Aviation’s fleet includes an A340-300, an A340-600, and two non-airworthy B737-300s, with its cargo arm operating six A340-600(P2F)s. Priority 1 Logistics, which acquired European Cargo, owns additional A340 aircraft and has launched P1 Leasing, an Ireland-based leasing arm.
Trevor Whetter shared: “We acquired this aircraft to enter the marketplace as a long-term strategy, as it’s a market we have not ventured into before. We need to obtain [the engines]now, which is a challenge, but we will overcome this somehow.”
