Auckland: Enticed by a booming Indian economy and a burgeoning aviation sector growing at 19%, a host of New Zealand companies are keen to enter the Indian aviation market or grow their presence.
New Zealand, which has a long aviation history dating back to early 20th century when Richard Pearse flew a monoplane, has a range of services and goods from short-haul aircraft and flight safety software to pilot training and airport infrastructure.
Pacific Aerospace , one of the leading manufacturers of smaller aircraft, said some Indian airlines have already shown interest in buying its P 750, a tough short haul plane ideal for regional connectivity. A deal with one of the airlines could be announced shortly, Todd Stephenson, general manager, said.
Stephenson said the plane has low operating costs compared to many competing planes like Cessna. Fitted with a Pratt & Whitney engine, the multi-utility 10-seater craft can do duty as either a passenger or a cargo plane, is easy to service and has a 100% safety record till now. "There has never been one lost due to an aircraft issue," he said.
And as flight safety becomes increasingly critical for airline operations, companies such as Wellington-based Superstructure are taking a big slice of the aviation safety software business. The company already has a tie-up with Jet and is talking to other airlines in India for deploying its software.
Ted Thomas, CEO, said "the core of the system is driven by the International Civil Aviation Organisation's guidelines" which offer airlines the opportunity to rate their safety procedures against ICAO's benchmarks. With many countries pushing for such evaluations - Germany has already made it mandatory - he sees growing opportunity in the thriving markets of India and China.
29/06/11 M A Stanley/Economic Times
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