ExecuJet remains positive about the future

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Gulfstream G650

ExecuJet executives Ettore Poggi and Gerrit Basson spoke to Corporate Jet Investor at EBACE 2014 – which was held last month in Geneva – and said they were confident that the business would improve slowly over the next year.

Ettore Poggi is managing director of Execujet Africa and Gerrit Basson is the chief operating officer of ExecuJet Aviation Group and managing director of ExecuJet Europe.

ALSO READ: Execujet wins Turkish approvals for Dubai MROs

Both Poggi and Basson echoed the message that there is growth in the industry, although it is far from spectacular. There has been a slow but steady growth, reflected by a couple of percentage points a year.

Basson said: “The emphasis in the business is now to enhance and improve the services we offer to what is expected of a top-tier business aviation company.”

ExecuJet has been steadily increasing the number and types of aircraft under management that are available for third party charter. ExecuJet now has nearly 200 aircraft under management around the world and owns 18 FBOs worlwide. Over the last two years, the company has  flown over 50,000 passengers and some 50,000 flight hours.

ExecuJet has an extensive fixed based operators network. This business was good over the past year and both executive were confident that this trend would continue.


ExecuJet Aviation Group expands agreement with Rolls-Royce

ExecuJet Aviation Group and Rolls-Royce have signed engine service agreements authorising ExecuJet Service Centres in China, Malaysia, South Africa, Nigeria and Australia to perform engine line maintenance, removals and installations on Rolls-Royce BR710 engines.

ExecuJet and Rolls-Royce sign engine deal at EBACE 2014

ExecuJet and Rolls-Royce sign engine deal at EBACE 2014

Rolls-Royce and ExecuJet Middle East signed an initial engine service agreement in 2012 authorising the Dubai ExecuJet Service Centre to perform engine line maintenance, removals and installations on Rolls-Royce BR710 and AE 3007A engines.


Execujet expands in Cambridge

Exceujet’s UK FBO in Cambridge,has been expanded and soon will become the group’s worldwide service centre.

Basson said: “We see our customers benefiting from our global services approach, by being supported globally by a true 24 hours a day support centre where best industry practices can readily be adopted because of the scale of ExecuJet’s operations worldwide.”

John Brutnell, previously operations director of ExecuJet Europe, has been appointed aircraft operations director for ExecuJet Aviation Group and will lead the new centralised services department, in addition to managing ExecuJet Europe’s flight operations department.

More of the core business units are now based in Cambridge and a large number of the worldwide charter requests are dealt with from there.


ExecuJet Europe expects high demand for the Gulfstream G650

ExecuJet Europe this year became the first operator in Europe to offer a G650 (based in Zurich) for charter use, after having already been the first operator in the region to manage a private G650 since August 2013.

Basson said: “The state-of-the-art, ultra-long-range G650 is a fantastic addition to our charter fleet and we are anticipating a busy summer of charter activity. With a range of 7,000nm and a luxurious and fully equipped interior, the G650 is ideal for business or leisure travel on trips such as London to Singapore and New York to Dubai.”


Africa is growing

“The Nigeria FBO is really growing fast, with the number of managed aircraft being based there growing too,” said Poggi.

Clearly, the oil and gas industry is having a very positive effect on the development of business aviation activity in Nigeria.

There are more opportunities for FBOs in some parts of Africa. There are challenges but opportunities are there.


Asia is playing its part too

Execujet says its Australasia FBO network is doing well, with the Perth FBO being singled out for the good work it has done.

In the Asian FBO network, charter work is growing and ExecuJet have opened the first Indonesian FBO. It is early days but ExecuJet are excited about the future in Indonesia and are looking forward to soon opening more FBOs in that country.


Aircraft under management increasing in Middle East

The Middle East network has also done well and now has 20 aircraft under management.

ExecuJet Middle East has opened an expanded FBO lounge at Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central to support the expected increase due to the closure of Dubai International Airport with all business aviation being redirected to Al Maktoum.

ALSO READ: Execujet moves maintenance to Dubai World Central

Both executives said that customer loyalty is very important, that it was good and getting better. The company is proud of its culture and with the anticipated continuing productivity and growth, things would only get better still.

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