Oliver Bergsch, Jet Aviation’s Vice President of MRO Sales and Customer Relations, EMEA and Asia

SP’s Aviation (SP’s): Today, what is the exact USP (unique selling point) Jet Aviation boasts of?

Oliver Bergsch (Bergsch): I suppose our USP as a business aviation services company is the fact that we offer the full gambit of aviation services globally. With more than 25 airport facilities throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North and South America, our scope and scale of service offerings provide major benefits that are difficult to match. We have experience and know-how that is well-respected in the market and shaped around the highest industry standards. We have been providing business aviation services to aircraft owners and operators for nearly half a century. In this time, we not only developed comprehensive business aviation service capabilities, we established a global network of facilities and earned a reputation for excellence.

Jet Aviation takes pride in exceeding customer expectations, and our good standing in the aviation industry is based on the quality, transparency, commitment and dedication of each member of our global team of professionals. This is the highest value we offer and is what differentiates us from our competitors.

 

SINGAPORE OPERATIONS: The new state-of-the-art hangar facility is able to accommo date aircraft such as the Boeing Busines Jet (BBJ) and Airbus Corporate Jet (ACJ), permitting up to five Gulfstream G650 or five Bombardier Global Expres 7000 aircraft

SP’s: What are the overall offerings of Jet Aviation?

Bergsch: Core services at Jet Aviation include maintenance and engineering, completions and refurbishment, FBO, aircraft management, charter and staffing services.

SP’s: Would you like to answer as to which business jet today is the friendliest in terms of maintenance costs and operational costs?

Bergsch: Every business jet has selling points or advantages in terms of particular business aviation needs. Business jets are bought in terms of their ability to meet an owner’s specific requirements. As the maintenance and operational costs are naturally factored into this decision, we don’t believe the question is relevant to us.

SP’s: According to Jet Aviation, which are the promising markets other than Americas and Europe?

Bergsch: Asia, including India, is a particularly important and growing market for business aviation. Africa is also an interesting market to keep an eye on.

SP’s: What’s the ratio of Jet Aviation’s business – within Europe versus markets outside Europe?

Bergsch: While the ratio in Europe is slightly higher, we continue to see increasing demand throughout Asia, for which we are currently developing an MRO facility in Macau.

 

HONG KONG OPERATIONS: THE services include the full range of aircraft management, operations and flight support services, as well as charter services all provided on a 24 x 7 basis

SP’s: What kind of presence does Jet Aviation have in Asia?

Bergsch: We first entered the Asian market in 1995 with the opening of our maintenance, refurbishment and FBO facility in Singapore.

Jet Aviation Singapore now offers FBO services at both Seletar and Changi International Airports to ensure the needs of its clients are met wherever they land. In response to growing demand, the company went operational from its new 7,500-square-metre hangar facility at Seletar Aerospace Park in May 2014, effectively tripling the size of its operation. The new state-of-the-art hangar facility is able to accommodate aircraft such as the Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) and Airbus Corporate Jet (ACJ), permitting up to five Gulfstream G650 or five Bombardier Global Express 7000 aircraft.

SP’s: Earlier this year, the company received full US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval for its new Interior Shop. Can you through some light on this?

Bergsch: Jet Aviation Singapore provides scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, aircraft repair, defect troubleshooting and rectifications and aircraft modifications. In addition, the company offers interior refurbishment, avionics modification and exterior painting services. Jet Aviation Singapore holds repair station approvals from various countries, including FAA #J8MY465N and EASA #145.0461. It is a Factory Authorised Service Centre and Warranty Repair Facility for the Gulfstream series, an Authorised Service Centre for the Nextant 400XT aircraft and a Boeing BBJ line maintenance station. It further supports Bombardier Challenger 300 / 600 / 601 / 604 / 605 series, Bombardier Global Express and XRS, Global 5000, 6000, and Bombardier Learjet 30 / 35 / 40 / 45 / 50 / 60 series aircraft.

“Our USP as a business aviation services company is the fact that we offer the full gambit of aviation services globally. With more than 25 airport facilities throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North and South America, our scope and scale of service offerings provide major benefits that are difficult to match.”

In Hong Kong, our aircraft management and charter operation was launched in September 2001 as a division of Jet Aviation Business Jets, and we have been promoting and maintaining relationships with owners, partners and authorities ever since. Available services include the full range of aircraft management, operations and flight support services, as well as charter services all provided on a 24x7 basis by a team of multilingual specialists.

On September 9, 2008, the company received its maintenance repair station approval from the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department (CAD). The company offers line maintenance, inspections and defect rectifications, as well as AOG support, and has access to a 9,200-square-metre hangar. In addition to Hong Kong CAD maintenance repair station approval, the company holds an FAA repair station certificate #6JAY388B, and mainland China JMM approval for PRC-registered aircraft. It also services aircraft registered in 11 other countries through Jet Aviation’s maintenance approvals in Singapore, which include EASA #145.0461, Aruba DCA, Australian CASA, Bermuda DCA, Cayman CAA, Indonesia DGAC, Macau MAR-145, Malaysia DCA, Philippines ATO, Singapore CAAS and Thailand DOA.

Earlier this year, Jet Aviation won a tender agreement to operate a business aviation MRO facility at Macau International Airport. The company finalised a 10-year concession agreement with the Macau Airport Authority for 4,000 square metres of a new hangar built specifically for business aviation maintenance, refurbishment and overhaul (MRO) purposes.

“Our partnership with Arrow Aircraft in India is proving very successful. In particular, they have helped us secure Indian DCGA approvals for our EMEA and Asia facilities and have referred customers to us for a number of major checks and refurbishments.”

The new MRO facility will operate as Jet Aviation Macau, with operations expected to commence in August 2015. Jet Aviation Macau will provide maintenance, aircraft cleaning and parking services for business jets at Macau International Airport. Jet Aviation will add Macau to its Gulfstream and Dassault Authorised Service Centre (ASC) approvals. It will also extend its EASA and FAA 145 approvals to cover Macau and gain Part 145 approval for the Civil Aviation Authority of the Macau Special Administrative Region (AACM).

SP’s: How do you view India as a market which even though may not be very promising at this point of time, but can really be a very strong market in coming times?

Bergsch: India is a large, open market that represents a lot of potential. Needless to say, we are always looking for good opportunities to grow our network for the benefit of our customers.

SP’s: You have tied up with Arrow Aircraft in India. Can you indicate on the areas of partnership with them?

Bergsch: Our partnership with Arrow Aircraft is proving very successful. In particular, they have helped us secure Indian DCGA approvals for our EMEA and Asia facilities and have referred customers to us for a number of major checks and refurbishments.

SP’s: Any specific change you wish to see happening in India enabling better and conducive environment for business aviation?

Bergsch: In general, we’d like to see more business aviation infrastructure in India.