Industry Insights

Having heard from Pascal Bachmann last month, it’s now time to hear from the next member of our Fastest Sales Team in the World – our Owner and Chairman of the Board, Jahid Fazal-Karim.

Why did you decide to start racing?

I started racing shortly after Jetcraft sponsored a GT racing team. The owner of the team said, “As you’re here, you might as well drive.” I had done karting and circuits for fun in the past, but never driven competitively or seriously. I began training in 2021, and in ’22, I had my first race season in GT4. I’m now competing in GT3, sharing a car with Pascal Bachmann, our SVP Sales, EMEA.

What do you enjoy the most about racing?

When you’re in the car, you can’t afford to think about anything else. Throughout the day, my brain is occupied with a million thoughts, but I simply can’t do that while driving or I might crash. So, besides the obvious sporting elements, such as the adrenaline rush and the thrill of the competitiveness, what truly matters for me is being in the moment and completely focused on one task.

What personality traits make for a successful racing driver?

I don’t think it’s exclusive to racing but more about athletes at a competitive level – the leaders have talent, like so many others, but it’s their application to the sport that sets them apart. Their dedication, determination, and attention to detail make all the difference to the level of their success.

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The reopening of commercial aviation in Asia has inevitably followed a different timeline to Europe.

While standardization of border crossing regulations in Asia have lagged behind the rest of the world, becoming a point of friction when it comes to travel resuming, demand has picked up again. The China Air Transport Association (CATA) is claiming aviation has returned to near pre-pandemic level, while software business Sabre has identified significant spikes in demand for flights into China as Covid restrictions were relaxed and tourist visas were issued earlier this year. Meanwhile, domestic airlines in India carried a record 13 million passengers in March, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation Data and the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has predicted the country’s air traffic will recover to 2019 levels this year.

Ultimately, while the bounce back is incomplete and imbalanced, we can see some green shoots of recovery, meaning aviation businesses can respond smartly to seize new opportunities.

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The importance of face-to-face meetings and the role of aviation as an engine of business growth was underlined by Ever Forward, 2023’s Pre-Owned Business Jet Market Forecast.

Our industry-leading market intelligence shows transaction values hit a record US$16.3B in 2022 – in part due to the resurgence of corporate aviation – with the corporate buyer roaring back to life following a dip during the pandemic. The share of our buyers from the corporate sector reached 60% in the last year, demonstrating the value businesses place on jet ownership to facilitate in-person meetings.

Nothing beats meeting face-to-face when it comes to finalizing major deals, with video conferencing only ever a temporary substitute. Whether it’s a company acquisition or a new product launch, face-to-face interactions offer the ability to read body language and build relationships, which create the foundations for success. Equally, the return of industry events, such as EBACE and NBAA, underlines t...

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On average, aircraft listed exclusively with Jetcraft sell 42% faster than the industry standard, however, that’s not the only reason we’re the home of the Fastest Sales Team in the World. It’s easy to overlook the similarities between high performance sports and selling, acquiring and trading high-value assets but with so many of our team having racing ties, we thought we’d take a closer look, connect the dots and share the speedy stories from within the Jetcraft family.

First up in our series, you all know him as our SVP Sales in EMEA, but we also know him as rally driving extraordinaire – it’s Pascal Bachmann.

Pascal, why did you decide to start racing? 

I discovered my love for racing when I was living in Lausanne, Switzerland. My friends and I would take my Mini out driving in the mountains on snowy nights and this is where I discovered the exhilaration of testing my driving ability.

As Antoine de Saint Exupéry, French aviator and pioneer of the Aeropostale once said, “It is by measuring oneself against the machine that a man learns his true value.” It’s this philosophy that drives me to do my best.

I vividly remember watching my first rally, witnessing the crews launching themselves through the dark night in pursuit of the fastest time and knowing “this is what I want to do.” Despite financial constraints, my friends and I gathered funds for a used car, modified it, and entered the same rally the following year. Alongside my co-pilot, we had no idea what we were doing, but it was exhilarating and crazy.

How long have you been racing for? 

My racing journey started in 1987. There were intermittent years when I couldn’t afford to participate, but whenever I accumulated enough funds, I eagerly joined in and so did my wife, Valerie. We each had our own cars and co-driver, and we would enter the same rallies. I remember one year we had to take our newborn daughter with us during a race recce, so we stopped every two hours or so to give her a bottle and change her.

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The nature of our industry means no two aircraft transactions are the same. There are not only different regulatory bodies and regional considerations, but customers have varying internal capabilities and requirements that need to be accounted for. 

Transactions become yet more complex when sourcing both the aircraft and its parts to provide a complete solution for a client.  

Take a recent deal Jetcraft Commercial completed with an undisclosed major international airline. We bought 25 Bombardier CRJ–200s and helped turn aircraft grounded by the pandemic – which required new engines – into valuable assets. This was possible thanks to the power of our network, which allowed us to source engines and offer potential buyers an aircraft that was ready to fly.  

Completing complex transactions such as these – when multiple parts of an aircraft are involved in the trade – requires the right approach.  

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When it comes to seizing opportunities within the global growth of business aviation, Jetcraft‘s perspective is truly international. This includes responding to the significant activity throughout Australia and the wider Asia-Pacific region.

In the last Five years, Jetcraft alone has added close to 15% to Australia’s market in terms of aircraft sold to new business aviation users, with corporate buyers in particular contributing significantly to this figure. The considerable distance between Australia and other major cities is also prompting buyers to invest in the flexibility offered by private travel, which is driving the growth of the market.

Mick Doohan, President, Jetcraft Australia and New Zealand, says: “Activity is off the charts across our region and there’s every reason to expect our market will continue to grow at around the pace we’ve seen over the last 10 years. Jetcraft – with our unrivaled expertise and impartial view of the entire market – can suppor...

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Diana Langes-Swarovski, president of WSG Tirol and owner of Tyrolean Jet Services, “wouldn’t work with anyone other than Jetcraft when it comes to buying or selling a jet.”

That’s because a feeling of friendship – or even family – is key to a trusted and successful business relationship for Diana. The type of relationship we’ve developed together through exceptional attention to detail and matching the Speed of her Life.

In 2019, Diana looked to us to sell her family’s Bombardier Global Express. The market was changing rapidly, and Diana wanted the deal done as quickly as possible. She’d met some of the team at industry events and knew that our local aviation expert, Sales Director Massimo Burrotti, combined with our global network, would guarantee the sale’s success. She also knew we’d be on hand to ensure she was fully informed every step of the way.

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There’s nothing more powerful for buyers and sellers of pre-owned jets than the Jetcraft advantage

With over six decades of global experience, you can trust the advice we give. Our global presence, with boots on the ground across the world, guarantees we’re always available for local meetings in any time zone and in any language, expertly dealing with transactions and provides invaluable support. 

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It’s an exciting time for commercial aviation in Africa. Across the entire continent, there are new trends and developments to respond to. Airlines on the continent are looking for smaller aircraft to implement into their operations, particularly narrowbody types and regional turboprops and jets. In East Africa, we’ve witnessed an increase in activity and change in key players, with Addis Ababa in Ethiopia recently becoming the biggest connecting hub in Africa. There has also been a notable increase in activity in Central Africa, alongside the usual high levels across Southern Africa, which continues to be a dynamic aviation market.

Seizing the opportunities that exist in the African commercial aviation industry means being fully aware of – and being prepared to respond to – the developing trends and the challenges that exist across the regions.

Recession prompts growth in regional aircraft

It’s perhaps surprising to talk about opportunities given that the African A...

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