Deccan Charters, which will soon be divested from India's Deccan Aviation, plans a spending spree to establish itself as a leading provider of corporate aviation in the country.
Deccan Aviation, parent of low-cost carrier Air Deccan, is hiving off the charter business as part of its merger with Kingfisher Airways. The company's roots are in helicopter charters, and it plans to build on this by adding at least 15 business jets and an unspecified number of helicopters in the next five years.
"There is growing demand for business aviation services from an increasing pool of high-net-worth individuals," says executive director Jayanth Poovaiah. "We have been in the charter business for several years and this is the right time for the company to move into this market."
The company is close to confirming a deal for a Hawker 400XP, and is assessing aircraft made by Hawker, Cessna and Bombardier for its fleet. It is also eyeing a number of single-engine and twin-engine helicopters to use for tourism and to ferry VIPs within India.
Poovaiah says Deccan is assessing the Eclipse 500, but is still unsure whether there will be demand for the very light jet. "Chartering an aircraft is still a matter of prestige for many people. The Eclipse is small and cramped, and may not fit the model."
Many in the Asian business aviation industry believe India has the potential for the highest growth in the region because of its booming economy and large number of multi-millionaires. The country's woeful infrastructure and constant delays in scheduled airline services mean helicopters are emerging as a viable way for executives to travel around.
The leading local player is fractional ownership firm Club Air One, which offers nine business jets for charter and ordered 10 Eclipse 500s in February. Start-up BJets said in February that it would start a charter and fractional ownership firm, and has firm orders for 20 Cessna Citation CJ2+ and 20 Hawker Pacific 850XP jets.
Source: Flight International
