Executive Airlines plans to expand at the double Executive Airlines ...

4 APRIL 2008 EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS
Air Alpha
formally gives
up helicopters
for jets
Denmark-based Air Alpha Group is
implementing a growth strategy
designed to place it among leading
Scandinavian business aviation
companies, according to Stig Naesh
the current ceo.
Naesh, who will become chairman
later this year when a new ceo is
appointed, says the group has
received an equity capital injection of
DKK95 million (US$19 million). “This
will assist further growth through
company acquisitions and alliances
here and abroad.”
The group will no longer conduct
helicopter operations and flight
training at its facilities in Odense. But
its acquisitions already include the
Aviation Interior Center, Danish
Aircraft Painting, both located at
Odense Airport, and Dansk
Flyelektronik in Roskilde.
Naesh says: “Incorporating the
expertise of these companies, the
Air Alpha Group gains the status
of a so-called ‘completion centre’
in the industry also known as a
‘one-stop-shop’ that will focus on
business aircraft.”
The move, he adds, will emphasize
that Odense is now the centre of the
Air Alpha activities. “The Baltic States
and Russia are still the absolute top
priority and we intend to add to the
existing sales contracts in Russia
regarding the Swiss built turboprop
aircraft Pilatus PC12 in addition to
sales of business jets.”
The Air Alpha Group is to build
2,000 sq. metres of new hangar
facilities in Odense. “This will make
room for maintenance, parking,
and display of the business aircraft
that from now on will be the
cornerstone of the Air Alpha activities
of sales, maintenance, and
operation,” says Naesh who succeeds
Poul Lübbert as chairman.
Corporate Air, formed only a year
ago, is reporting increasing take
up by businessmen of its shared
aircraft ownership facility. “Our aim
is to be known as the people
who provide jets in Ireland and
promote St. Angelo airport at
Enniskillen as the corporate airport
for Ireland,” says Tony Ringland, one
of Corporate Air's partners.
“We see a great demand in Ireland
for business aircraft and for
Enniskillen as the business aircraft
airport in Ireland. We average three
days per week in each aircraft and
that would relate to between 7,000
and 10,000 miles per week. We are
looking closely at the VLJ market.”
Ringland adds: “You can leave
London City airport at 5.30 p.m.
in a Corporate Air jet and be
sitting down for dinner in beautiful
County Fermanagh by 7.30 p.m.” St
NetJets reports huge influx of pilots
Pilots are flocking to NetJets amidst an industry wide pilot shortage, the
fractional operator reports. “NetJets Europe employed 341 new pilots last year,”
says ceo and chairman Mark Booth, “bringing the total to 908 at the end of 2007.”
He says NetJets Europe flies to 900 airports which means a pilot can expect to
fly to more than 70 airports in 21 countries operating hundreds of unique city
pairs every year. Qualified first officers with more than 3,000 hours of flight
experience can upgrade to captain in as little as six months, he adds. “Our
recruitment drive has extended the company’s total workforce to 1,653.”
In 2007, NetJets Transportes Aéreos employed 144 new aviation
professionals, based at the operations centre in Lisbon, in areas such as training,
maintenance, dispatch, scheduling and customer service. Another 41 new sales
and marketing staff based in London, Munich, Paris and Rotkreuz (Switzerland)
also joined the NetJets Europe team along with 25 new cabin crew members.
Staff at the new Lough Erne Golf Resort celebrate the hotel's investment in one of Corporate Air's aircraft.
Corporate Air invites businesses to share in success
Get in.
Take off.
Business.
You are looking for fl exibility
and want to save time? Business
aviation is your answer.
It’s the mode of transportation
which gets business people
to that important appointment
– Safe, Flexible, Direct, anywhere
within Europe.
Stuttgarter Flugdienst GmbH
General Aviation Airport Stuttgart
D -70629 Stuttgart
Tel. +49 (0)711-9 90 50-96
Fax +49 (0)711-9 90 50-98
www.stuttgarterfl ugdienst.de
A relaxing dinner is just a two minute
speedboat ride from stepping off a jet at
Enniskillen's St. Angelo airport.
Angelo airport is building a new
jet hangar and business centre to
cater for business aircraft and a
runway extension is proposed for
later this year.
Corporate Air, from its base in the
north of Ireland, offers shares in
aircraft which, at present, are all preowned.
Each owner is allotted
periods of aircraft use that reflect
their shares. A 50 per cent ownership
Gama Holdings says its managed
fleet will exceed 60 aircraft following
its acquisition of PrivatAir, Inc,
the US-arm of the Swiss-based
PrivatAir Group.
“It is a significant acquisition
as the group enters its 25th year of
operation,” says Marwan Khalek,
Gama's ceo and founder. The price is
not being disclosed.
Headquartered at Farnborough
airport in the U.K., Gama focuses on
activities including aircraft ownership,
charter services, business aircraft
management, medical transport
operations and aircraft maintenance.
Khalek adds: “Gama has enjoyed
significant growth over the past 25
years, particularly in the last six. This
year has seen our expansion in a
number of key markets to make Gama
one of the leading international
business jet companies. PrivatAir, Inc.
equates to six months’ time usage
spread throughout a year. Another
aircraft is being lined up for
prospective owners.
“We have an offer on a second
2001 C550 Bravo and should have this
in operation by May 2008,” says
Ringland. The new aircraft will be
jointly owned by two companies with
business in Europe and will be mostly
used for business trips. The Bravo was
chosen for its range and payload.
Corporate Air combines
organising share purchases in aircraft
with managing business aircraft at St
Angelo. “At present we look after three
Citations (Bravo, Citation II and a
C500) and two PA31s (Navajo and
Chieftain),” Ringland says. Corporate
Air also provides crew for other
PA31s, C500 and C550 aircraft based
in Ireland.
The company’s expansion has
enjoys an excellent reputation
throughout the United States, a
crucial market for any international
business aviation company, and we
look forward to working with our
successful team in continuing to
deliver the highest standards of safety,
customer care and service.”
The company will be branded
as Gama Aviation, Inc. and will remain
based in Stratford, Connecticut.
sparked interest amongst job seekers.
“We mostly head hunt pilots and do
not have any vacancies at the
moment but welcome CVs,” says
Ringland. “All our pilots are special
and it is interesting that just two out
of 14 are ex-airline.”
Ringland says that Corporate
Air is planning to further build its
business. “We have, in a very
short time, acquired the reputation
as safe efficient corporate aircraft
operators with some of the best
corporate pilots in Ireland. We are
driven by customer care and
attention to detail and, as with any
organisation, the best marketing is by
word of mouth.”
Corporate Air is organising a jet
day at St Angelo and is inviting some
of Ireland's top companies and
businessmen to view aircraft and
discuss their travel requirements.
PrivatAir acquisition gives Gama 60-plus
international fleet with widespread appeal
Greg Thomas: PrivatAir is focusing on
growth markets.
Gama is already present at Teterboro,
New Jersey.
Khalek points out that the Gama
fleet comprises aircraft from all of the
major manufacturers.
PrivatAir says it will be focusing
major efforts on developing its
European. Middle East and Russian
business. “We believes that the
current buoyancy of the US private
aviation market makes it the
perfect time to sell our US division,”
says Greg Thomas, PrivatAir ceo.
“Following the sale, PrivatAir SA is now
ideally placed to aggressively target
new growth markets.”
He adds: “We always keep an eye
out for good investments but we do not
have any specific acquisitions in mind
at present. In addition to the proceeds
from the acquisition we have
substantial cash reserves and this
leaves us well placed.”