Hawker opens service center in Delhi, mulls FBO services

New Delhi, Feb 28 (UNI) Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC), world's leading general aviation company, today said it has invested about eight million dollars to set up a new authorised service center in partnership with InterGlobe General Aviation (P) Ltd (IGGA) here.

''We are delighted to expand our partnership with InterGlobe General Aviation and are excited about their investment in the Hawker brand in India,'' said HBC Chairman and CEO Jim Schuster.

There is increased wealth in the region and Indian companies are more globalised in their approach and the country is a very important market for us and the centre of our business strategy.

The company enjoys 82 per cent of the business jets market in the country, but excepts it to slip in the next few years due to increased competition.

''As market expands natural competition will increase and the opening of our service center is step a step ahead of our competitors,'' said IGGA CEO Nigel A Harwood.

The company now plans to open its next authorised centre in Mumbai later in the year and one either in Chennai or Bangalore by 2009.

The company also is in talks with GMR to develop a fixed base operator (FBO) service in Delhi so that private and business airplanes do not have to go through the normal domestic airline procedure.

The FBO is a service center at an airport that may be a private enterprise and enables the business and private airlines to have a terminal of their own along with aircraft fuel, parking, access to washrooms, telephones, pilot lounges and conference rooms.

If the company does succeed, it will be the first such service in the aviation sector in the country and will cut time of business travellers with a personal jet and allow it seamless and efficient travel.

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