Many Hawker Beechcraft products have technologies that allow employees to remain in communication throughout the duration of the flight, unlike the scheduled airlines—of critical importance for companies managing a rapidlychanging situation

As one potential customer put it to me at the India Aviation show in Hyderabad, “I am sick of the way I am flying.” He is not alone. In India, today, corporate houses have to be increasingly efficient if they are to prosper. When a company’s future depends on executives being at the right place and at the right time, business aviation comes into its own.

In that context, more and more companies are seeing the value of a business aircraft in order for the staff to be in different locations in the course of a day, often at short notice—something that is near-impossible using the scheduled airlines. Studies from the US show that business use of general aviation adds value to a company’s bottomline. Companies that have an aeroplane return more to their shareholders than their competitors without aircraft. Business people can make a trip involving stops, then return to headquarters the same day, saving time and travel expenses that would be needed to make the same journey over several days using other transport means.

As Tier-III cities and rural India become more important for the Indian economy, companies need to be able to seize opportunities, often at short notice, in places poorly served by the ‘big six’. Business aviation provides that necessary flexibility and speed. Air traffic, as we know, has increased manifold in the last decade in India. Today, because of the high load factors on commercial airlines, if your flight is cancelled or one of those all-too-common delays causes you to miss your connection, the chances of you getting on the next flight are significantly reduced. And, in many cases, that next flight might be 24 hours hence.

But with a corporate plane, the companies’ staff can access factories or clients in smaller towns and rural communities across India which has little or no commercial airline service. Because companies can build plants and use suppliers where business aeroplanes can go, business aviation keeps India connected and infuses rural areas and states with much-needed tax revenue and employment.

In other words, besides providing a more comfortable environment, corporate aviation has become a productivity tool. Employees can plan and work en route to that important meeting in a secure environment. Furthermore, many Hawker Beechcraft (HBC) products have technologies that allow employees to remain in communication throughout the duration of the flight, unlike the scheduled airlines—of critical importance for companies managing a rapidly-changing situation. When corporates need to transport sensitive or critical equipment, business aviation is also often the best solution.