Page 32 - AAA MARCH - APRIL 2014 Online Magazine

FEATURE HOPE AMID GLOOME

The Hawker 400XP is
suited to short to mid-
range flights, offering
the most spacious cabin
in its class thanks to
its unique square-oval
cabin design
India has not been in the best of Vibhooti Singh Deora, CEO of Microlight the manpower need, business aviation
safety records with respect to the ability Aviation Pvt. Ltd., a company based in the companies are bringing in experienced
of properly overseeing areas under western Indian city of Jaipur that deals in staff from foreign countries at a huge cost.
airworthiness and operations. light aircraft says, “Whatever steps the Rohit Kapur, president of Business
A senior official of a business aircraft DGCA has taken will work in favor of the Aircraft Owners Association, a body of
operator concedes that certain equipment operators.” the country’s business jet operators
under the DGCA requirement weren’t Deora says, “the operators are already says, “The DGCA’s assessment process
fitted on to their airplanes when they aware about the safety procedures; is still not streamlined...To begin with,
were delivered. “Retro fitting them now they also know the implications of not the government should set up a new cell
will require major investment and also it’s following them. But they are just saving within the DGCA, employ more inspectors
difficult to find spares for such equipment money since profit margins are higher. But and also delegate certain powers to
for these small aircraft,” he says. there are certain international guidelines regional offices.”
According to the DGCA’s last August 21 set by the ICAO, which need to be strictly But, international business jet
order, the charter operators also need to implemented by them.” companies seem to be upbeat by the
get approvals such as ETOPS, which is an “Those companies which have fulfilled Indian regulator’s decision.
approval for twin-engined airplanes to fly the DGCA’s safety guidelines are free to Zurich-based VistaJet says it is
longer routes or MNPS which is required for go ahead with their international flight witnessing 25% growth in demand for its
aircraft flying in the north-Atlantic airspace. services,” Deora tells AAA. airplanes in India from entrepreneurs.
“It might take a while to get these Still, most companies haven’t met the VistaJet says three to four of its 37
approvals, but we won’t allow the rules, he explains. “It is a big cost on the Global Express aircraft are constantly
operators to fly before that,” says the companies; the profits are less. So, most hired by Indian companies and it plans to
ministry official. companies are not willing to invest in station about four more airplanes in India
The accident record of charter upgrading the procedures in order to get by mid-2014.
aircraft in India has been worse than an accreditation.” “India is a very strategic market for
that of commercial airlines. Arunachal The steps are meant to bring us. We have been here for 18 months
Pradesh chief minister Dorjee Khandu Indian carries at par with international and are witnessing 20-25% growth. We
was killed with four others after a standards. But the DGCA doesn’t have are aware of the overall slowdown and
Eurocopter helicopter operated by Pawan proper infrastructure to properly monitor fall of the rupee. But successful Indian
Hans crashed in bad weather in May their operations. entrepreneurs are travelling and we are
2011. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister y.S. Indian aviation industry lacks seeing an unprecedented demand from the
Rajasekhara Reddy died when his state manpower resources with technical country for business jets,” says VistaJet
government-owned Bell 430 helicopter expertise. There is an increasing demand Holdings chairman Thomas Flohr.
crashed in a dense forest while flying to a for about 50,000 employees and 15,000
village in Chitoor district in September 2009. engineers in the airline industry. To meet
32 ASIAN AIRLINES & AIRPORTS MARCH / APRIL 2014 WWW.ASIANAIRLINES-AIRPORTS.COM