Hawker eyes Indian corporates for business jet sales

Bangalore, Feb 7 (UNI) The booming economy and an upwardly mobile corporate class would turn India into one of the biggest buyers of business jets manufactured by Swiss major Raytheon Aircraft Company, company Vice-President Sean McGeough said today.

Speaking to mediapersons at Aero India-2007, which began here, he said ''we are now changing our focus from State Governments, who had been our main buyers, to India's private sector. We have been the leaders in selling business jets in this country, with a share of 60 per cent. Our market strategy will now be India-centric.'' Mr McGeough said the emergence of an upwardly mobile class, a growing business footprint of corporates across regional centres and the resultant need for frequent business travel were driving resurgence in business aircraft demand throughout India.

The company, which had a five-decade-old presence in the country, had sold 73 of the total 122 business aircraft in the country. The new models on offer would be the Hawker 850XP, which carried on the tradition of the earlier 800-series, he said.

Raytheon today launched its brand new line of business jets, the Hawker 750 and Hawker 900XP for its customers in India. While the former was the ideal workhorse within the Indian sub-continent, the latter was a longer-ranger meant for inter-continental travel, he added.

Unveiled last year, the two models had got substantial orders globally, with firm orders received for more than 110 aircraft.

Raytheon Aircraft Company designed, manufactured, marketed and supported Hawker and Beechcraft aircraft for the world's commercial and military markets.

UNI