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Empire Aviation Group (EAG), a Dubai-based private aviation specialist and operator of one of the West Asian’s largest managed fleets of business jets, has announced plans to start operations in India, with the opening of a new branch office in Mumbai by mid-2011.

The new branch — the company’s first operational base outside Dubai — will eventually offer the full range of Empire Aviation Group services in the subcontinent and will have an initial focus on aircraft sales and management.

The announcement was timed to coincide with the inaugural Kerala Aircraft Static Display Show 2011 held in Kozhikode where the company had an exhibit highlighting its range of aviation services and featured a Hawker 800XP business jet that EAG is marketing on behalf of its owner.

Mr Steve Hartley, Executive Director at Empire Aviation Group, said this is the right time to enter the Indian aviation market, as private jet registrations have continued to rise strongly over the last three years.

“Market reports suggest that there are around 130-140 private jets currently based in the market, covering all the major manufacturers. The market opportunity is especially attractive for our aircraft management services, in which we take owners’ aircraft onto our mixed fleet and manage, operate and charter them on behalf of the owner.

“We believe there is also good potential for new and pre-owned aircraft sales, in a market which is clearly recognising the benefits of private aviation and the aviation infrastructure is developing rapidly to accommodate and support this trend,” he said.

EAG’s Mumbai branch will be staffed by a local team trained at its headquarters in Dubai and the company expects the branch to begin operations with a small initial fleet of managed aircraft based in the market.

“Our clear aim is to emulate the success we have achieved in the Middle East, where we have become one of the region’s largest specialists in the short time since starting operations in 2007,” Mr Hartley said.

“EAG now manages one of the region’s largest mixed fleets of business jets, currently more than 20 aircraft. We believe our aircraft asset management business model, with aircraft management services for owners at its core, will work equally effectively in this exciting emerging market for private aviation,” he said.

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Bell Helicopter’s service facility at Prague Ruzyne International Airport is the site of sister Textron company Cessna Aircraft’s newest Citation service facility. The EASA-approved Cessna operation shares the 32,000-sq-ft facility and has already begun offering scheduled and unscheduled maintenance and warranty work. Cessna staffs and manages the facility.

Stan Younger, V.P. of service facilities, told AIN Cessna plans to expand its capabilities to include base maintenance.

Cessna is also assembling a second mobile service unit (MSU) for deployment in central Europe to complement the new service center. The first Citation MSU, owned by Cessna’s Paris Citation service center, was recently positioned in Lyon, France, and covers the south of France, Switzerland, northern Italy and northern Spain.

“The MSU is a heavy-duty truck equipped with tooling to perform unplanned and light planned maintenance, including a hoist for engine changes. It also has a full complement of avionics diagnostic equipment on board,” Younger said. “Currently the MSU is staffed with technicians from the Paris facility.”

Cessna also recently began construction of a new service center in Valencia, Spain, scheduled to begin operations next year. Cessna opened its first European service center in Paris in 1997.

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Shuffling between cities and visiting remote locations has become easier for corporate India that has turned towards executive jets to ferry them whenever and wherever they want. "India has realized a 46 percent increase in registered private jets in the past 36 months," Justin Lee Firestone, Group Managing Director, Firestone Management, which recently came out with a bi-annual report on Indian aviation said, as per an IANS report.

Though small in number, the niche is witnessing a boom, thereby attracting all major aircraft manufacturers to India. Firestone added "The growth opportunity for private jet manufacturers to deliver their products into India is tremendous.”

The report says that India currently has a total of 136 private jets made by global aircraft manufacturers like Hawker Beechcraft, Cessna, Bombardier and Gulfstream. The spurt in demand of these technologically advanced and luxurious aircraft is the realisation of an unmet demand and current travel needs of the industry, said Amber Dubey, Director for Aerospace and Defence with global consultancy KPMG.

"With the demand for business travel on the rise, corporate sector and high-net individuals have started to realise the benefits of owning an executive jet. It saves time and gives hassle-free travel," added Dubey. Dubey further foresees the demand for the executive jet sector to be on the higher side in the coming three-to-four years. Currently, private jets' range varies from around USD 4 million to USD 58 million.

The owners' club includes DLF's KP Singh, Raymond's Gautam Singhania, Reliance Group's Mukesh Ambani and GMR group's GM Rao. According to the official data by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the private jet fleet in the country is around 135 out of a total of 1,146 aircraft. "Yes, we do receive many applications from different sectors and companies who want to obtain the permission to import these aircraft," said a DGCA official. The official added, "The process takes its own course with a lot of pre-planning that goes into deciding many factors like jet parking, aircraft size and minimum required instruments in the plane."

According to the official norm, industrial houses and private owners who seek to import their own private jets need to be registered with the DGCA as a non-scheduled operator. “Many corporate houses have registered their own -- non-scheduled operator company - with the agency. Once the registration process is completed the company operates the aircraft as per its organisation's requirements," the official said.

But the high growth rate in acquisition of the niche aircraft type may be dampened with a recently-imposed import duty of 2.5 per cent on the aircraft. Dubey feels that the need and demand for these aircraft would remain high even if the cost of acquiring the aircraft becomes a bit costly. "It will just get a little costlier to have the aircraft, but the advantages that it provides are tremendous," Dubey said.

Trends within the niche sector suggest that the Indian customer is now more attracted to technologically advanced jet-powered executive aircraft rather than the propeller-driven ones. "The interesting fact which has come out is the demand shift in executive jets, from propeller driven aircraft to more technologically advanced jets which are faster and provide more comfort," said Ashok Pratap Rai, Chief Executive, charter aircraft service provider Club One Air.

Other business like exclusive distributorship and maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) services of these aviation marvels are also witnessing a similar boom as their product is in heavy demand. InterGlobe Established Products Ltd, which runs the low-cost carrier IndiGo, has launched its new business of exclusive distributorship of executive jets, seaplanes and helicopters.

The company's portfolio of exclusive aviation products include, Hawker Beechcraft products, Sikorsky helicopters, Dornier Seaplanes and Pacific Aerospace's P750. "There is a huge potential not only for executive jets but seaplanes and helicopters as well," said Nigel Harwood, President and Chief Executive, InterGlobe Established Products Ltd.

Another boost for the growing segment could come from Delhi International Airport Ltd. The company is expected to make a decision soon on an integrated domestic-cum-international terminal complex for LCC and private jets.

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Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Randy Babbitt announced additional management changes and other actions today as part of the FAA’s comprehensive review of the air traffic control system.

Three veteran FAA managers will be repositioned to assume oversight of critical air traffic roles:

• Walt Cochran will oversee Terminal Operations, where he will be responsible for all of the Agency's airport towers and TRACONS (approach and departure control).
• Chris Metts will oversee all of the Agency’s En Route and Oceanic operations.
• Glen Martin will become the Air Traffic Manager at the Cleveland Air Route Traffic Control Center. He is currently the deputy air traffic manager at Chicago Center.

The FAA is also assessing key mid-level management positions to ensure that both technical and leadership expectations are being met.

Teams of FAA experts are also examining some of the agency’s more complex facilities, including Cleveland and New York Centers, in an effort to make certain that operational policies and professional standards are being upheld.

“We are continuing to do everything in our power to ensure that our nation’s aviation system remains the safest in the world. This is just the beginning of the process to make sure we have the best possible team in place,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

“The FAA’s focus is safety. These changes ensure that we have the right people in the right places to help us carry out our mission,” said FAA Administrator Babbitt. “I am confident our top-to-bottom review is making our air traffic system even safer.”

Secretary LaHood and Administrator Babbitt announced earlier this month that the FAA would place an additional air traffic controller on the midnight shift at air traffic control towers and facilities around the country that were staffed with only one controller during that time.

Three controllers in Knoxville, Miami and Seattle were fired for sleeping while working an operational position. These employees have a due process right to respond to these actions.

Additionally, the FAA instituted changes to air traffic controller scheduling practices that will allow controllers more time for rest between shifts. The FAA and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) are continuing to work together on additional changes that will help reduce controller fatigue, including a fatigue education program.

On Friday, the FAA also announced the members of an independent review panel that will evaluate the agency’s air traffic control training curriculum, qualifications and placement process to make sure new controllers are properly prepared. The members of the panel are: Michael Barr, University of Southern California Aviation, Safety & Security program; Tim Brady, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University; Garth Koleszar, NATCA; Michael New, United Airlines; and Julia Pounds, FAA. The panel will submit a report to FAA Administrator Babbitt this fall.

The in-depth look at air traffic controller training is part of the FAA – NATCA Call to Action on air traffic control safety and professionalism. Administrator Babbitt, NATCA President Paul Rinaldi and members of their leadership teams have been visiting air traffic facilities around the country to reinforce the need for all air traffic personnel to adhere to the highest professional standards.

During the Call to Action, FAA and NATCA teams have so far visited air traffic personnel and facilities in and around: Atlanta; Boston; Chicago; Cleveland; Columbus; Dallas–Ft. Worth; Denver; Kansas City; Knoxville; Lincoln; Louisville; Miami; Minneapolis; New York; Oklahoma City; Oakland; Omaha; Reno; Sacramento; and Salt Lake City.

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