A new venture in Russia to serve the country's burgeoning large-cabin market will be a key part of new Jet Aviation chief executive Peter Edwards' strategy to push the Swiss business aviation services group into emerging regions.
Edwards, former boss of Bombardier's business aircraft division, joined Jet Aviation earlier this month after his predecessor, Heinz Kohli, quit in March over "strategic differences" with the board.
Edwards, a consultant since leaving Bombardier in 2005, says he wants to "move more quickly in extending our reach into rapidly growing markets and rising to the challenge of meeting the shortfall in completion capacity".
Jet Aviation - which is one of the sector's big two completion businesses and also maintains, manages and charters aircraft - already has a significant presence outside Europe and the USA, with facilities in Saudi Arabia and Dubai, as well as Singapore. But with the market's "centre of gravity moving out of North America", Edwards believes it is crucial to be "focused internationally".
Edwards says that because owners of Russia's fast-growing large-cabin business jet fleet currentlyhave to travel to Western Europe or the Gulf for maintenance, "we will be localising our support in the relatively near future".
Source: Flight International
