Tag Aviation : airline

Tag Aviation is a Swiss aeronautical company based at Geneva-Cointrin airport. It specialises in business aviation. The company operates as an airline, but also offers other services such as maintenance and training to become a private jet pilot. Finally, it also offers management of owner-operated business aircraft. We tell you all about this air transport company.

The beginnings of Tag Aviation

• 1966: this marks the creation of Groupe International Aeroleasing (ALG). This was renamed TAG Aviation in 1998. This company entered the aviation industry and began its activity by operating with aircraft belonging to owners. Their role was to lease them out when they became available. The company got off to a flying start with the arrival of investor and client IOS (Investors Overseas Services). TAG Aviation managed several private jets for European aircraft manufacturers.
• 1970: after a good start in the sector, TAG Aviation lost the support of IOS. It was at this point that the company set up operations at Geneva airport.
• 1975 : this was the year the company saw its first flight with a Falcon 20, a long-haul flight with stopovers (as it had a range of 3.5 hours), departing from Geneva and arriving in Singapore.
• 1978: TAG Aviation takes on new missions, such as medical repatriation. These missions became a major focus for the company.
• 1980 : With a Piper Cheyenne turboprop, the company flew around the world. And, unusually, it was one of the first to cross the USSR (and set up operations there the following year).

By the 1970s, the company had established itself and its reputation in the world of business aviation. Indeed, it flew business jets on various airlines for high-profile clients such as actors, singers and politicians.

TAG Aviation’s expansion into the 2000s

• 1981: a new CEO, Elie Bazbaz, took over the company. His success lay in developing the company’s own fleet. He acquired different types of aircraft. Different models of Falcon, from the aircraft manufacturer Dassault, but also private jets from Bombardier. During this period, the company extended its reach to other territories, including Asia, Africa and North America.
• 1986: on the strength of its medical repatriation missions, the company undertook another round-the-world trip, this time for the sole purpose of medical transport.
• 1988: the company carried out medical missions for SOS Assistance in conflict zones. TAG Aviation subsequently received a Nobel Prize for its actions, as did the United Nations peacekeeping organisation.
• 1994: due to the economic crisis, Elie Bazbaz left the company and the company was affected by this difficult period. TAG Aviation’s fleet shrank from 31 jets to 15. But the company held firm.

TAG Aviation’s international development

• 2000: The aeronautical company expands and moves to an English airport, Farnborough.
• 2001: TAG Aviation focuses on its mission of managing owner-operated aircraft.
• 2006: As part of its international expansion, the company sets up in Hong Kong, Asia.
• 2007: TAG Aviation opens its pilot and crew training centre in Farnborough.
• 2007 – 2012 : during these years, TAG Aviation continues to grow and sets up in several major cities. New offices in Hong Kong in 2007. A charter and maintenance subsidiary in Bahrain in the Middle East in 2010. The inauguration of new offices in Geneva for the head office in the same year. Also in 2010, they opened a maintenance centre at Le Bourget in Paris. Then, in 2012, they set up new offices in Beijing, China.
• 2013 : the company’s expansion doesn’t stop there, as this year they open an FBO (Fixed Based Operator), a private terminal in Sion, Switzerland. The purpose of this terminal is also to store and maintain private jets.
• 2017: 2 subsidiaries open respectively in Malta and San Marino (a micro-state in northern Italy).
• 2019 : TAG Maintenance Service in Europe, the company’s maintenance arm, is sold to aerospace giant Dassault Aviation, which then takes over these services on the continent. That same year, TAG Aviation opened a new FBO in Macao (in southern China).
• 2021: in Hong Kong, the company becomes the benchmark service centre for private jets in the Falcon range (from aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation).

TAG Aviation’s rich history has made it a pioneer in the private aviation sector, with 11 sites in both Europe and Asia. As a result of its expansion, today Steven Young is President and CEO of TAG Aviation (on the Asian continent) and the company’s CEO for Europe is Joanne Goodall.

TAG Aviation activities

TAG Aviation aircraft management

TAG Aviation is different from other aviation companies. It has its own fleet of business jets, but it also has another fleet made up of owner-managed aircraft.

If you own a private aircraft, you can put it under management. This means that TAG Aviation manages all aspects of the aircraft’s operation (with a dedicated crew), as well as its technical monitoring and international finance. The company makes itself very available and communicates with the owners on a regular basis to give them updates on the operation of their aircraft. This type of management allows owners to recoup the costs of their private jets when they are not in use.

TAG Aviation’s maintenance services

TAG Aviation (through its TAG Engineering division) offers cleaning services and aircraft maintenance for airliners and other aircraft in Hong Kong and Macau. These centres are certified for various aircraft. They operate on business jets and airliners from manufacturers such as Bombardier, Dassault Aviation and Gulfstream. The company’s services are at the cutting edge of aeronautical technology and guarantee top-quality maintenance. Finally, these services are available every day and at all times, a guarantee of speed and efficiency.

TAG Aviation’s own fleet

TAG Aviation manages around a hundred aircraft from owners, but it also has its own fleet of aircraft. The company owns a total of 16 aircraft from various manufacturers in the aeronautical sector.

The company has also chosen to invest in state-of-the-art aircraft. Whether it’s the cockpit or the cabin, they all have one thing in common: extreme comfort and outstanding performance. All the aircraft chosen by TAG Aviation have a long range and can make long-haul journeys.

Bombardier aircraft

TAG Aviation has acquired 8 aircraft from the Canadian manufacturer.

The company has private jets from the Global range: a Global 6500, a Global 6000 and 4 Global 5000.

They also have 2 aircraft from the Challenger family: a Challenger 650 and a Challenger 604.

Gulfstream aircraft

The airline’s fleet has been expanded by 4 aircraft. There are 2 Gulfstream G650s, as well as a Gulfstream G550 and a Gulfstream G280.

Dassault Aviation aircraft

Finally, the aeronautical company has acquired 4 business jets from the Falcon range. They own 3 Falcon 7X, as well as a Falcon 2000LXS.

How to travel with TAG Aviation

As TAG Aviation operates in the business aviation sector and therefore in the on-demand aviation sector, the terms and conditions are different to those for commercial aviation. You don’t need a boarding pass, nor do you have to wait for long periods in commercial terminals. In business aviation, boarding procedures are quick and simplified.

As for baggage, you can travel with hold or cabin baggage, but this will depend on the model and type of aircraft you book. However, you will be given all this information before your flight.

At AEROAFFAIRES, we can call on our business aviation partners. For further information or to book a private jet flight, please contact us on +33 (0)1 44 09 91 82 or complete our online quote form.