Benefits of Business Aviation

Business aviation continues to grow because of its many benefits. All those who want to make the best use of their travel time and continue working or have meetings in safe, private environment use it. Here are some of the real benefits of business aviation.

Plan your own travel itinerary

Having a corporate aircraft available means you can plan a travel itinerary according to your convenience. You can even have stopovers at several locations and return the very day itself.

Be productive while on the go

Employees travelling in business aircraft can continue working even while travelling. They can meet, work and plan with each other en route. They can be productive on the go.

More flexibility

Businesses opportunities will present themselves out of the blue, so companies need to move quickly if they don’t want to lose business. Business aviation gives employees more flexibility to travel at short notice.

You can choose the time and place

Business aviation enables you to choose your own time and place of travel. And once you decide on the place and time of departure of your flight, whether it’s winter or summer, the plane will fly at precisely the chosen time.

Chart your own route

You can fly to your destination in your own schedule. The air space will be open to you in all directions because there will be no restrictions, whatsoever.

You can choose your plane

You can choose any model of aircraft depending on the comfort you are looking for and the number of people who will be accompanying you. You will be able to see the plane and its interiors before booking it. The staff will also help you in choosing the best plane model.

No boundaries

Since you will be able to access private terminals at the airport you won’t lose any time waiting for security clearance. There is no need to wait for your baggage since you are carrying it along with you in the plane.

Confidentiality

There is no need to come to the airport hours in advance and then stand in queues to complete the tiring check-in procedures. There won’t be any unwanted travel companions as well. You will have privacy during the entire journey.

You are connected

Business jets are equipped with the latest means of communication. You have access to the internet, mobile communication on the ground and during flight.

Comfort and leisure

One major advantage of business aviation is that you can choose any additional services if you wish. For instance, you can have your choice of food and drinks. There will be special chefs to prepare a tasty treat right at the height of several thousand meters. You can even ask them to play the music you love to listen.

Sleep well

If you have a busy schedule the next day, you might long for a good night’s rest so that you will feel energised the next day. Business aircraft are equipped with beds so that you feel at home and sleep well during the flight.

General Aviation in India

The term ‘aviation’ may refer to civil aviation or general aviation. ‘Civil aviation’ usually means aviation related to the military, and government and private airline companies. Aircrafts by private owners, private companies, flying clubs, etc. come under general aviation.

Indian general aviation is rapidly growing. Companies with their own aircraft have an edge over their competitors as they can save on the time spent travelling from one place to another using airports with heavy traffic. Another advantage is that they can use their aircraft to fly to destinations not served by civil aviation. Helicopters have a higher potential when compared to airlines as they can reach places that other aircraft cannot.

In India helicopters have the potential to be used more efficiently. Currently they operate from airports. India does not have heliports or heli-routes. The lack of infrastructure is a major drawback when it comes to general aviation. There are no Fixed Base Operators (FBO) terminals for general aviation. There are only very few agencies managing ground handling. Lack of proper maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) is also a concern.

There are a number of regulations that make owning a private aircraft difficult. For instance, many government agencies such as Ministry of Civil Aviation and Airport authority of India are involved in the procedure to get a private aircraft. The 25% duty increases the cost of owning an aircraft. In metro areas, there are restrictions on when can the aircraft be operated. This often fails the purpose of a privately owned aircraft.

There are not enough qualified professionals to handle the jobs within the general aviation industry. The few flying schools in India are not producing enough pilots to serve the industry. Apart from pilots, there are a number of jobs such as an aviation engineer, air traffic controller, flight engineer and aviation technician that need qualified candidates. The universities are unable to meet the needs of the industry.

A number of companies of international repute are planning to open aviation service centres and warehouses in the major cities in India, such as Mumbai and Delhi. For instance, GE Aviation and Air India are joining to set up a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in India’s commercial capital, Mumbai. Hawker Beechcraft is also setting up a service centre in Mumbai.

Misconceptions, lack of awareness and problems in communication between the government and the public, along with the drawbacks in infrastructure are the major hurdles in the growth of general aviation in India. With some changes in the government policy, and a clear vision and commitment, the general aviation industry in India will be able to reach its full potential.

General Aviation In India, Growth, Opportunities And Challenges

Introduction

Aviation normally connotes a dichotomous division into:

• Civil Aviation
• General Aviation.

Civil aviation is further classified into:

• Military
• Government and private airline companies (airliners).

General Aviation deals with private aircraft owners, aircrafts owned by companies, flying clubs, small taxi operators etc. Thus, General Aviation includes all aircrafts not flown by the government and private airline companies called scheduled operators and/or the military.

General Aviation (GA) is also considered as a catalyst for economic growth. Businesses that use general aviation are said to gain competitive advantage, while communities gain job opportunities and access to the nation’s extended air transportation system.

It benefits the users of transportation services and the country’s economy at large. It increases the efficiency and productivity of businesses by reducing travel time that would be required to drive or to use more congested commercial airports. It provides training for a majority of new pilots.

Companies/ Government Agencies can use airplanes/ helicopter to:

• For corporate Use
• Offshore purposes especially helicopters
• Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
• Disaster Management

The latest statistics for the civil aviation sector depict:

• FDI up to 100 per cent is allowed under the automatic route for Greenfield projects.
• For existing projects, FDI up to 100 per cent is allowed; while investment up to 74 per cent under the automatic route and beyond 74 per cent under the government route.

The Indian aviation industry is one of the fastest-growing aviation industries in the world with private airlines accounting for more than 75 per cent of the sector of the domestic aviation market (as of 2006). A compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18 per cent and 454 airports and airstrips in place in the country, of which 16 are designated as international airports, the time has come to monitor the increasing growth of aviation sector.

Today, the General aviation sector is most neglected in the civil aviation industry. It is treated as a step child of aviation in India. There are no separate guidelines for general aviation. In India there is no concept of FBO’s (Fixed Base Operator), helicopters or GA (General Aviation) terminals.

Maximum use of General Aviation is in corporate charters, followed by offshore operations through helicopters, tourism etc. In the private charter industry itself there is an estimated business of Rs.2900 crores and it should not be neglected.

General Aviation in India is a very niche market, especially since it is hassle free and has instant availability status. The value additional benefits of private aircraft are that it can fly to destinations not covered by scheduled airlines, has access to over 400 air strips (Only 90 are operational right now). The versatility of helicopters of reaching where nothing else can is not being exploited to its best potential.

The reasons which have lead to the poor growth of general aviation are mainly:

Lack of infrastructure- There is non-availability of FBO’s (Fixed Base Operator), terminals. The numbers of agencies for ground handling are extremely restricted, there is non-availability of MRO’S (Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul) and increases cost of maintenance.

There is no separate parking and the helicopters are operating out of airports. There are no heliports and heli-routes in India till date.

Restrictive regulations- Too many agencies are involved in the procedure of getting a private aircraft such as Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, and Airport Authority of India. 25% of duty is only restricted only to the corporate aircrafts, which increases costs. The owner has to restrict himself to operational timings at major metros, which renders private ownership useless.

Lack of Manpower- There is shortage of pilots and engineers. In India there are 35 flying schools, which are not producing the required number of pilots. There is a demand of about 50,000 employees and 15000 engineers in the airline industry.

The general aviation sector still has large scope for growth, by the intervention of private players and the availability of the purchasing power among the classes. The Business Aviation Association of India estimates that general aviation in that country is likely to grow by 30% to 40%.

With more than 700,000 Indians accounting for a cumulative wealth of $3 billion, this comes as no surprise. Deregulation, availability of finances, eased regulations for foreign investment in Indian companies, and paradoxically, the painful experience of travel on a commercial jet are driving this growth.

The Road Ahead

Investment opportunities of US$ 110 billion are being envisaged up to 2020 with US$ 80 billion towards new aircraft and US$ 30 billion towards development of airport infrastructure, according to the Investment Commission of India.

• Indian aerospace companies are growing too. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was ranked 40th in Flight International’s list of the top 100 aerospace companies last year.

• Aircraft manufacturing major, Boeing, is in the process of setting up the US$ 100 million proposed Maintenance Repair Overhaul (MRO) facilities in Delhi. Air India is also in the process of launching a Cargo Hub in Nagpur while Deccan Aviation has already started one from the city.

• GE Aviation and Air India will jointly invest US$ 90 million to set up a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in Mumbai.

• Indocopters Private Ltd, distributor for Eurocopter helicopters in India, is planning to set up a helicopter maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in Bhubaneswar, the company’s fourth service centre in the country.

Conclusion

General aviation is growing rapidly both in the developed and developing countries. India’s general aviation has failed to keep pace with the rest of the world due to general misconceptions, non-awareness and miscommunication between government and public and lack of infrastructure.

With 83,000 billionaires in India, and growing at the rate of 20% per year, the potential is amazing. Yet, there is a strong belief in India that the aircraft is a luxury item. Realistically speaking, an aircraft is not a luxury item. In fact it can contribute to an organisation operating more efficiently with many financial, economic and social benefits. It can give a multi- utilitarian denomination to the market.

The impediment in developing the general aviation in India is the lack of development map as to how this industry will grow. The necessary infrastructure in all its manifestations is either nonexistent or woefully inadequate.

Switching From Your Old Aviation Solvents to Aero Kleen Brings Several Benefits

Whether you operate an aviation company or own your plane, ensuring that an aircraft remains in flying condition requires the removal of accumulations on aircraft’s working parts, including: grease, fuel oil, hydraulic fluids, carbon and organic resins.

Traditionally, aviation companies and private pilots use toxic solvents to keep their aircraft flight ready. But with environmental awareness defining the industrial and domestic solvent industries, more aircraft owners are switching to non-toxic aircraft cleaners for numerous reasons.

If you currently use a traditional solvent to maintain your airplane(s) and are considering switching to a non-toxic cleaner that performs as well or better than your current solvent, Aero Kleen is an environmentally preferred aviation solvent that is gaining in popularity among aviation companies and personal aircraft owners alike. Using Aero Kleen instead of a traditional industrial cleaner brings several advantages. Below, we list five of them.

Safe on all Metals

In the past, cleaning the whole of an airplane’s working parts required the purchase of numerous solvents to avoid the corrosion of certain parts by using a single solvent that was too abrasive. But with Aero Kleen, aircraft owners have a solvent that works on all mental airplane parts, including all engine parts. Aircraft maintenance can be expensive, and adding to that expense by purchasing a variety of solvents when using Aero Kleen would suffice is now unnecessary.

No Hazardous Ingredients as Defined by the EPA

Using industrial cleaners that have a high toxicity can result in more than pollution; it can also result in aircraft companies being put in a difficult position when the banning of certain chemicals leads to the discontinuance of a certain cleaner.

The best way to avoid this situation is to switch to a non-toxic solvent that offers the same cleaning power as your current solvent before EPA regulations force you to switch. As environmental consciousness continues to define industrial legislation, more toxic chemicals will be banned. Switching to Aero Kleen today allows you to stay ahead of EPA regulations.

Not a Flammable or Combustible Liquid

One of biggest downsides to toxic aviation cleaners is their low flash point, which puts both aircraft and their technicians at risk for being involved in a fire. Although aircraft are cleaned without their engine running, one spark from faulty wiring can turn a routine cleaning operation can result in an aircraft going up in flames and the technician suffering serious burns.

Aero Kleen has a TCC Flash point above 200 degrees Fahrenheit, making it a non-flammable and non-combustible liquid. Although switching from your traditional aircraft cleaners to a non-toxic cleaner can feel risky, non-toxic aircraft cleaners are supported by research that displays their efficacy, as Aero Kleen is a perfect example.