CEO Perspective

How did the BJETS name originate? Briefly explain the business concept and the services you provide. BJETS is a catchy name derived from two sources – firstly, it is an abbreviation for Business Jets, secondly, B is for our founder Bala Ramamoorthy’s company, Briley Group, a private jet client for many years. We have three primary offerings throughout our operating regions of India and Southeast Asia: 1. Fractional Ownership: This means that the user acquires only a fraction of a certain jet that corresponds to the flying time they realistically need, while gaining guaranteed access to the entire fleet. Should a user’s own jet be unavailable at the desired time, another jet from the operator’s fleet will be assigned, giving the user access to the operator’s entire fleet of jets and the convenience to fly at any time. 2. Block Charter Programme: The Pre-Paid Hour programme provides the customer with guaranteed availability and consistency, based on a contract stipulating a defined flight volume. This is unlike on-demandcharter, where availability of the jets is not guaranteed and prices and aircraft quality, as well as operator quality, can vary from flight to flight. 3. Aircraft Management: For clients who already own an aircraft but desire the same exacting standards that BJETS ensures across its own jet fleet, BJETS’ aircraft management services will take care of everything from hiring crew and logistics to catering and route planning. For our Corporate & Marketing HQ, we chose Mumbai for its importance as a business capital in the region, Hyderabad as operational nerve centre for its very advanced aviation infrastructure and central location within India, and Singapore as regional HQ for its corporate command in SEA, efficiency, and the fact that our founder is based here. Why did BJETS choose the Hawker 850XP and Cessna Citation CJ2+ for its launch fleet? The CJ2+ provides an excellent blend of reliability, range and cost effectiveness foroperations within India and around Southeast Asia. Coupled with the card programme, the CJ2+ will be key for BJETS to provide customers with an affordable entry into private aviation that can reach remote destinations. A 20-unit contract has been negotiated. Meanwhile, the Hawker 850 / 900 XP is the best aircraft on the market in terms of cabin size, range and overall performance. It also has a reliable and proven design which makes it ideal for high-usage international travel. A 20-unit contract has been negotiated. When it comes to the charter business, how do you evaluate the differences between the US, European and Asian markets? Describe the future trends of each of these markets in the next five to 10 years. Although we aren’t really in the charter business, we think Asia has some of the best growth potential in private aviation. I believe the tried and tested services that BJETS brings to Asia will succeed much like they have in the US and Europe. In the next five to 10 years the real opportunities will be in Asia, because Asia, unlike Europe and the US, is under-serviced, and it will take at least that amount of time for it to develop a proper private aviation network. Has BJETS been affected by this year’s financial crisis? What’s your reaction to the market downturn? What is the company's next objective? India still has one of the best economic stories to tell in the world today, a fact that people in India may have forgotten at the end of last year, but are now again acknowledging. This has reflected in a definite increase in activity for BJETS during the past few months. Much like the rest of the world, people have suffered a loss of wealth, resulting in a shift in people’s spending habits, but not necessarily all to the detriment of BJETS. Buying aircraft was all the rage only 12 months ago, whereas now, although many buyers are deferring and/or cancelling aircraft orders, they still wish to fly privately, bringing a definite surge to our fractional programme. In many ways, the effect on the BJETS Fractional Ownership Program has been positive since it gives all the benefits of aircraft ownership and more. One modification to our business plan we did have to make was that we had to invest more energy into developing our Aircraft Management Services. This is because existing aircraft owners looking to rationalise costs recognise that a professional dedicated operator with BJETS’ scale can more efficiently operate their own aircraft bringing cost down while improving operating standards. As a result, we have seen a surge in our Aircraft Management Program. Could you share some of your fondest flight experiences and how your passion for aviation began? When was the last time you flew? Which airplane are you flying with currently? My flying began with my father in Kansas before I could even see out of the cockpit. I grew up at airports and the interest just stayed. However, it has been a few years since I have flown. This is both a factor of where I have lived, since flying is not as straightforward in Europe, and my time involved in building BJETS.