Philippine company Asian Aerospace is planning to acquire a Cessna Caravan floatplane and Bell 407 helicopter.
Chief executive Peter Rodriguez says the Caravan, to be acquired in the second half of this year along with a second smaller floatplane, will be used to launch tourist charters from Manila Bay to hard-to-access islands. The Bell 407 would replace a Bell 206L Asian Aerospace sold last year.
The company now operates two Bell 230s, a Bell 206B, Learjet 31, Beechcraft King Air and Beechcraft Baron. The company is looking to expand its charter and maintenance businesses because its aircraft sales unit has been suffering from a downturn in demand.
"Nobody is buying these days, so our people are focused on charters and leasing," says Rodriguez.
He says several Philippine corporations have sold their aircraft, opening new opportunities in the charter and fractional ownership market. But he says demand for high-end business aircraft has been low for the past two years, prompting Asian Aerospace's charter unit to add the Baron late last year instead of a second jet.
Source: Flight International
