The Hindu Business Line : BJETS targets 100 customers in the first year

Mumbai, June 15 Setting its sights on the expanding Indian skies, private aviator BJETS has fixed a target of 100 clients in the first year of its operation. “We have got a very good response from India. We expect 100 customers in the first year,” Mr Mark Baier, Chief Executive Officer, BJETS, told Business Line. A joint venture between Singapore-based Briley Group and Tata group’s Indian Hotels Company, BJETS plan to start its operations in India this September. “We will start testing in one month’s time and we will be open to clients in September,” he added. The flight operations of BJETS will be based in new Hyderabad International Airport. The company has confirmed an order of 55 aircraft. “Two-third of the fleet will operate in India and one-third will be in South-East Asia,” Mr Baier said.

BJETS aims to rope in high net-worth individuals and MNCs with its fractional ownership model wherein a person or a company can make part payment for the aircraft and operate it in accordance with their own requirement. When asked how the rising prices of aviation turbine fuel would affect the private aviation business, Mr Baier said, “This is a time-driven product. It is not a cost-sensitive one. ATF price won’t necessarily affect the requirement of private aircraft.”