Malaysia’s Taiko Group has established an aviation division to sell, manage and maintain business jets, starting with the Cessna Citation family.
Taiko has operated a Citation Bravo to transport executives of its chemical and plantation subsidiaries for six years and this year took delivery of a Citation XLS. Taiko aviation division president Lawrence Tiong says it aims to begin offering charter services in the first half of 2006 using its two existing aircraft and a further Bravo to be delivered in 2006.
“In the future we will be offering full aviation services – sales, aircraft management, maintenance and charters,” says Tiong.
Taiko is setting up a maintenance capability to support its fleet and other Citations it hopes to sell as the newly authorised sales representative for Cessna Aircraft. Taiko used to send its aircraft to Jet Aviation in Singapore for maintenance, but has completed a 3,700m2 (40,000ft2) hangar at Kuala Lumpur’s Subang airport that can accommodate up to nine Citations.
The hangar also houses a VIP lounge and serves as the office for Taiko’s newly formed aviation division. The company has already been appointed as authorised sales agent for Citations in Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore, and later hopes to expand into Taiwan.
Tiong says several Malaysian corporations are close to acquiring business jets and he expects one or two sales to companies in Brunei and Singapore. Currently there are only three Citations operating in Malaysia – the two at Taiko and one Citation X at east Malaysian charter operator Hornbill Skyways.
“We believe the peninsular Malaysia market will be the primary market for us,” says Tiong. “There are not many business jets here, but a lot of people are thinking about it. I think we’ll see a lot of activity in the next few years.”
“We’re optimistic about things going forward in the marketplace,” says Citation Asia-Pacific sales director Robert Hollander. “Taiko is and has been a good customer for six to seven years.
BRENDAN SOBIE / SINGAPORE
Source: Flight International
