ETA-Ascon Star taps into India's rising demand for corporate jets

Dubai: The ETA-Ascon Star Group is seeking to build a solid business jet infrastructure in India by redeveloping hundreds of its small airstrips for the country's growing corporate segment, a top official said.
The group, with an annual sales revenue of $5.69 billion, entered the aviation business by setting up Star Aviation in India earlier this year.
It has launched ETA Star Jet for the corporate jet market in the Gulf.
The company is willing to invest in developing airstrips and helipads wherever needed.
"We have entered the executive jet business by setting up a new company, ETA Star Jet, to serve the growing needs of corporate clients across the region," Hameed Salahuddin, director of ETA-Ascon Star Group, told Gulf News in a recent interview.
"We are acquiring three aircraft to start with and we will unveil this during the next Middle East Business Aviation conference in Dubai."
He said the company will expand its fleet in the coming years as demand for business jet grows.
"However, the biggest demand is expected from the Indian market as the economy is on a fast-track growth. Corporate India has moved to the next generation that needs fast transit facilities across the country."
India is currently developing a number of business and industrial parks and economic zones that need air strips or helipads for business leaders to travel back and forth.
India's aviation sector is yet to expand to its fullest capacity as private airlines are making headway to fill up the gap created by growing demand.
If the Indian government permits, then ETA Ascon Star Group would invest in creating the executive jet facilities, called fixed-base operations (FBO) across all airports in India, while expanding its own business jet fleet to serve corporate India.
27/09/08 Saifur Rahman/GulfNews, United Arab Emirates

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Categories: Foreign Sep 2008, Indian Aviation- In General Sep 2008