Industry Insights

Jetcraft is expanding rapidly in the continent by turning challenges into opportunities and adding a local touch to customer service

Everyone realizes that business aviation is a global industry that reaches across the entire planet. But in recent years, the industry has turned its attention to Africa as private aircraft ownership has truly taken off in this relatively new market.

Economic growth has driven much of this increase as the continent’s economy has been surging by about 5 percent annually, which is a rate expected to continue through 2015. Private jet ownership is also expected to grow at the steady pace of 5.6 percent over the next two decades according to a recent report issued by Boeing.

So why is Africa enjoying a boom in private jet ownership?

There are several elements spurring this growth. Africa is among the fastest rising private aviation markets due to a strengthening economy and a related increase in high net worth individuals (HNWI). The ultra-high...

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The process of buying and selling private jets is not a simple one. There are many moving parts, including market research, aircraft valuations, visual reviews, logbook research, and marketing coordination that each play a pivotal role in the purchase or sale process. As each transaction usually totals in the millions, attention to detail is crucial at every stage.

Often, this whole process falls on the shoulders of a single sales representative. But Jetcraft has a dedicated team of eight professionals standing ready to undertake this arduous – but critical – mission.

“Clients expect one-to-one service when buying or selling a high value asset such as a jet,” says Jetcraft Sales Director Chris Brenner. “Our sales engineering team performs the necessary legwork, market research, value summaries and reviews involved with every transaction. This frees up the sales representative to focus exclusively on the customer and guide them through the transaction cycle, along with any pot...

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Written by Fabrice Roger, former Jetcraft Sales Director, Latin America

A few months ago, the business aviation industry gathered in Sao Paulo, Brazil for the 11th annual Latin American Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition (LABACE) show. The fact that over 15,000 attendees (a new record) gathered at LABACE in itself speaks to the acceptance of private jet ownership across Latin America.  This is especially true in Brazil which is the economic powerhouse of the region and the biggest market in terms of business aviation in Latin America. It has the world’s second largest private fleet and represents over 5 percent of the global market for business aviation.

But other nations in the region are also showing solid growth rates. For example, business aircraft ownership increased by 10 percent in Columbia from 2012-2013. Mexico has also posted impressive gains over the same time period. Some analysts even predict that over the next five years demand for business aircraft in L...

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According to the National Aircraft Resale Association (NARA), 14 percent of private jet owners do not use a broker to handle the buying and selling of their aircraft. Many feel they know their aircraft needs better than others and – perhaps more importantly – can save some money by going it alone.

But people who do this are making a big mistake. The buying and selling of aircraft can be more complicated than it seems. Those who do not use a qualified broker are taking a risk as many things can go wrong with a transaction. Ironically, they often end up paying more - sometimes quite a bit more – for their aircraft than it is really worth.

“For an ownership experience to be positive it requires planning, effort and communication,” said Scott Plumb, Senior Vice President of Sales for Jetcraft.  “I have watched buyers purchase the wrong airplane because they were consulted by a friend rather than a professional. They then end up with an aircraft that may not be the best f...

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July 17:

This morning we all had breakfast together before our meetings, as we have done the other days. Everyone is moving a bit slower today after the long days of work and fun. We started out with a bit of IT Housekeeping. Next the Marketing Team shared an overview of what they've been doing, events, digital, and social. They also shared a blooper video created from some corporate video footage shot at NBAA in 2013.

Following big group meetings were a few round table meetings with certain departments, and some free time. In the evening we had a Farewell Dinner where everyone wore white. Following the dinner was some dancing and conversation. This will be the last time that we are all together until next year.

July 16:

Day 2 of meetings kicked off with a few words from Chad Anderson facilitating a discussion about some of our key accounts.

Following Chad, Chris Brenner talk...

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From organizing your flight schedules and refueling the aircraft, to supplying the catering and fine wines onboard, your Fixed Based Operator (FBO) is there to make sure your departure and arrival experience runs as smoothly and as securely as possible.

Even if your personal preference is to bypass all facilities onsite and simply step from your car directly on to the aircraft, your choice of departure or arrival airport can be strongly influenced by the quality and availability of FBO services.

Passenger comfort is essential but the safety and security of the aircraft and its crew are also of paramount importance and remain in the expert hands of the FBO. Choosing the right FBO partner for your departure or arrival is extremely important - just ask your pilot, he or she will be able to explain how essential top-rate facilities and services can make a considerable difference to the overall safety of your journey, such as a snooze room for crew, de-icing and cleaning services.

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The below content was distributed by the Editor of Corporate Jet Investor, Alasdair Whyte, through the Corporate Jet Investor One Minute Week weekly newsletter. It has been posted with permission.

Corporate Jet Investor - One Minute Week No. 170

We live in an age where people want instant gratification. We download books to Kindles, watch movies on Netflix and read newspapers (and leading business jet websites) online.

The same is true for people who buy business jets (especially the bit about websites). This is a fundamental change, but one that is easy to miss.

Many of the world’s great old houses were built by Victorian entrepreneurs who were happy to spend years building and furnishing their houses. They would then wait for their gardens to grow. This behaviour is rarer now.

Leading estate agents say that the majority of high value properties in London – ones over $100 million – are sold with furnishings included. “When I started in this business I assumed that the ric...

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With a steadily improving US economy, aircraft values stabilizing globally, and companies with readily available access to capital, it is an opportune time to bring aircraft into the US at a lower cost, according to Jetcraft COO Peter Antonenko.

As aircraft make their way stateside, there are a number of economic questions that both a buyer and seller must answer: Who handles export from the current country? Who handles import? Who pays taxes and other delivery costs? What will be the arrival airport? For the right answers, it means working closely with the country of registration, FAA, Customs and Border Patrol, and the Department of Treasury.

“Where the aircraft is located and where it’s going, that’s where it starts. Then you can begin looking at paperwork and the next steps,” said Antonenko. “Filing a customs declaration, following the normal international arrival procedures, and hiring a broker are all parts of the initial process. Mishandling any of these steps can slow...

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For companies and institutions that own a private aircraft fleet, there will invariably come a time when there is a need to sell. Whether it’s a multinational corporation looking to upgrade their fleet of Sikorskys and Challengers, or a US-based aviation services company aiming to sell their Citation 560XLs, fleet sales can come in any shape or size. There is no cookie cutter approach to handling these transactions.

Because each fleet sale is unique and entails a large scope of planning, preparation and execution, most aircraft brokers simply don’t have the knowledge or capability to handle these transactions. Each fleet sale involves a high level of trust, a wealth of experience and a unique ability to be flexible. It’s also the type of transaction that Jetcraft specializes in.

“We’ve been handling fleet sales for a long time, but these types of transactions aren’t something that Jetcraft started doing overnight,” explains Jetcraft President, Chad Anderson. “You have t...

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