Vodka tsar Roustam Tariko has based his $100 million private jet in Bermuda, The Royal Gazette can reveal.

The massive Boeing 737 — a passenger jet converted to VIP standard — will be operated by the island’s Longtail Aviation.

Martin Amick, CEO of Longtail Aviation, declined to discuss the jet’s ownership, but aviation websites listed the registered owner.

Mr Tariko is the billionaire founder and owner of the Russian Standard vodka brand and the Russian Standard Bank.

The new Boeing is he second in the Longtail fleet.

Mr Amick said: “We are very proud and pleased the owners have chosen us and we hope there will be others like them who see we are doing well.

“I am sure there will be other aeroplanes.

“As is the case with any other air carrier, you grow in size, you, the staff needed to service the aircraft you have.

“The limit is more likely imposed by the size of the field — this is a top of the line, high-end type of aircraft and there are very few people who can afford or have the capacity to run them.”

Mr Amick said that Bermuda management and registration offered special advantages to owners.

He explained that Longtail Aviation was the only company in the world that has a Bermuda air carrier certificate — which means aircraft run from the island can be hired out for charters.

He added that other countries offered the same type of service — but that the process was “more difficult and time-consuming” than in Bermuda.

Mr Amick said: “Bermuda has a very efficient regulatory authority, the Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority is very efficient and run by very competent people, particularly when they are working with a known operating company like Longtail Aviation.

He added: “The Bermuda aircraft registry is very popular around the world — there are more than 700 aircraft and of this only about 150 of them are private jets. The rest of them are airliners.

Mr Amick said that few of the planes operated from the island spent time here.

He added: “This latest one could come here, but it will not spend a significant amount of time in Bermuda.”

The aircraft, based on the successful civilian airliner, is configured to carry just 18 VIPs and includes two private staterooms with baths and showers, a galley, private office space and luxurious seating.

Mr Amick said: “In 1998, the Boeing Aircraft Company re-engineered and successfully introduced the 737 Boeing business jet, nicknamed the BBJ, as a VIP private jet.

“Immediately upon its introduction, into corporate service, the BBJ became the gold standard for the entire private jet travel industry.

“The BBJ offers the best of commercial aviation safety and reliability in the private air travel sector.”

In addition to two Boeing 737 VIP jets, Longtail operates a large MD-87 private jet, a stretched version of the DC-9 airliner, and a smaller Dassault Falcon 900.