On 25 January 2017, Jetcraft Chairman Jahid Fazal-Karim spoke with Sally Bundock and Rachel Horne on BBC Business Live. Below is a transcript of the interview.

Host intro:

Now let’s get to the inside track on how the worlds top business leaders get a ride. We’re talking corporate jets and private planes. They can be the fastest way to get between back-to-back meetings in different countries.

The market is quite a tricky one as you can imagine. Jet inventory is rising as manufacturers churn out hundreds of these jets a year. And once it’s been bought, the value of a jet falls rapidly but aircraft broker Jetcraft says that the resale market is still strong with large ultra-long-range aircraft particularly popular among business jet buyers. These types of large cabin jets can link nearly any two points in the globe.

Now, let’s talk to a man that knows all about this, Jahid Fazal-Karim, who is the co-owner and Chairman of the Board at Jetcraft. Good morning and welcome to Business Live.

Jahid: Good morning.

Host: Now before we talk about your business and what it does right now, let’s talk about your story. You escaped civil war at a very young age, at the age of 8, in Madagascar. What happened next and where did you go?

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Shariff Narayanin, former Jetcraft Sales Representative
Location: Jakarta, Indonesia

How long have you been at Jetcraft?

It was one year ago that I joined the Jetcraft family. After 20 years of working in flight operations (and close to 9,000 flight hours), I was lucky to be given a chance at learning the difficult world of aircraft sales.

What are your responsibilities within the global Jetcraft team?

I support the team by identifying and engaging new leads in South East Asia, mainly Indonesia (the country I call home). I work under the guidance of David Dixon whose experience and knowledge of the territory have been invaluable to me.

Describe a typical day or week in your role.

There is nothing typical about my week. I spend most of my time in Jakarta and around South East Asia chasing new prospects. A day could be made up of calling a potential lead in the morning, touching base with a contact at lunch time, then getting refreshed and ready to attend a long evening event to further an existing business relationship. I may spend several hours in traffic getting to an appointment, or experience a weekend in a remote forest, an island, or a Formula One track. I am always following that customer who never stops in one place.

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Product Overview

The GV was the first ultra-long-range business jet produced by Gulfstream. Most notable about the GV is its 6,500 nm range made possible in part by the new BMW Rolls-Royce BR710A1-10 engines, which offer increased thrust. The GV is capable of non-stop flight from New York to Tokyo.

As of October 2016, 74% of the Gulfstream GV aircraft were purchased pre-owned by their current owners, the other 26% new. Currently, 4.2% are for sale with all of those (100%) under an exclusive broker agreement. When for sale, the average number of days on the market is 197.

Brief History

The Gulfstream GV began production in 1996 and ceased production in 2002. A total of 193 Gulfstream GV aircraft have been produced with all but two currently in operation.

Worldwide Appeal

There are 191 Gulfstream GV aircraft in operation today. Most of these are owned outright (180) with 12% currently leased. North America has the largest percentage of GV aircraft (82%), followed by Asia (10%).

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Written by Chris Brenner, Jetcraft's former SVP-Sales, Americas

In today’s competitive market for selling aircraft, one of the easiest and fastest ways for owners to upgrade is to complete an aircraft trade-in transaction by working with a partner who has the capabilities to facilitate a trade-in and has an aircraft that the seller is interested in purchasing. Transaction specialists such as Jetcraft offer sellers a representative with the ability not only to market their aircraft to a wide audience of potential buyers, but also provide them with an immediate buyer (themselves) if another can’t be found quickly. Jetcraft can also offer a replacement aircraft from its current inventory or may be willing to bring another aircraft into inventory that better fits the buyer’s mission.

Once a seller shows interest in a trade-in process, the seller’s aircraft’s trade-in value will be established, as well as the price of the new aircraft. In such a case, an agreement can be cre...

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Gaspard Milazzo, CEO & Sales Broker, G-Yachts
[email protected]

How long have you been at your current organization?

I have been in the yachting industry since I was born, as my parents were pioneers in boat sales and charters in the early 70’s in the French Riviera. I created my company, G-Yachts (originally called Gaspard Yachts), in 1999.

What are your responsibilities within your organization?

I am the CEO of G-Yachts, so I supervise all operations within the company, but I also carry on working as a yacht broker as this is what I really enjoy.

Describe a typical day or week in your role.

I spend a lot of my time between Monaco and Cannes, as we have an office in both places. Regardless of where I am, like most of us, the first thing I do when I open my eyes is read my emails. Then I spend a lot of time at the office among my team talking about sales, charters and management, as I really believe that good communication is a key to success. I also travel quite a bit to meet clients and attend many events all over the world, which I really enjoy. My favorite part of the day is when I can come home to my family and 3 wonderful daughters.

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Last month we closed another successful presence at the NBAA 2016 convention and exhibition. Despite well documented market challenges and the then-looming US elections, the audience, transaction conversations and number of quality attendees were well above even our own reasonably high expectations.

Through the client and prospect conversations we had at our static venue, we saw that most in the industry remain upbeat and on-track with their aircraft acquisition plans. As we have stated often through this year, there are deals out there and business transactions continue at a solid pace. Jetcraft remains on track to close another record-breaking year, making 2016 and 2015 the two strongest years in our company’s history.

Financing and the US Election

Even though business is continuing at a solid pace, and the majority of our NBAA interactions were positive, a few conversations did raise a few concerns that some buyers and sellers in the industry might wish to keep their eye...

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Product Overview

The Falcon 900 was designed as a bigger, faster, longer, range version of the 50 model. It is 5.5 feet longer with a taller tail and longer wing and holds 544 additional gallons of fuel allowing it to go 700 nautical miles further.

In 1991 the standard production model transitioned from the 900 to the 900B which included more powerful engines for increased range, Category II visibility approach clearance, and the ability to operate on unprepared air strips that its predecessor could not. Earlier production 900s can be retrofitted to 900B standard.

As of October 2016, 94% of the Falcon 900/900B aircraft were purchased pre-owned by their current owners, the other 6% new. 10% are currently for sale with the majority of those (61%) under an exclusive broker agreement. When for sale, the average number of days on the market is 483.

Brief History

The Falcon 900 began production in 1987 and ceased production in 1999. A total of 177 Falcon 900 aircraft have been manufactured with all but one in operation.

Worldwide Appeal

There are currently 176 Falcon 900/900B aircraft in operation today. Most of these are owned outright (168) with 8% currently leased. North America has the largest percentage of Falcon 900/900B aircraft (69%), followed by Europe (17%).

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At the distinguished AsBAA Icons of Aviation Awards Charity Gala Dinner on November 6, 2016, Jetcraft Asia was awarded the Best Aircraft Brokerage for its second year in a row. Presented by the Asian Business Aviation Association (AsBAA), the annual awards are voted by industry members.

“This award is validation of our efforts to be the leading international buyer and seller of new and pre-owned aircraft to our clients, for whom we strive to always deliver comprehensive and forward-thinking solutions,” said Jetcraft Asia President, David Dixon. “We are delighted to receive recognition from industry peers especially for the second time. Thank you very much for your confidence and continuous support!”

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Johan Blitz, Global Head of Corporate Aircraft Finance, UBS

How long have you been at your current organization?

11 years

What are your responsibilities within your organization?

I am the Global Head of Corporate Aircraft Finance for UBS. I launched the aircraft-financing product within UBS 11 years ago and since then have been able to successfully implement this product with an ever-increasing portfolio and team. My responsibilities revolve around our multi-billion USD portfolio and managing client and asset risks, but also are linked to marketing and product awareness to our Wealth Management arm. UBS is now considered one of the top financiers in the UHNW segment for corporate aircraft.

Describe a typical day or week in your role.

I usually arrive in the office around 7am and immediately I start up my computer. Then I need a very strong coffee. And another one. Next I start to navigate through the jungle of emails. Depending on the content of the emails, the planning of the day starts (besides the scheduled internal and external meetings). I speak to my team and get an update on the business, internal projects and default cases. I also get an overview on payments received from our clients and depending on the status, may delegate some tasks to some colleagues. Due to the overall difficult market situation and deterioration of values, I speak on a daily basis to our internal stakeholders such as Risk, Legal and Compliance, and sometimes also with our Tax department. There are always ongoing internal projects that need to be discussed, prepared and presented. I’m often involved in complex cases, difficult discussions or strategic planning for new transactions.

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