The Challenges & Changes of India’s GA/BA Industry

The years, since the pandemic took over the world, have been an interesting time for the global GA/BA industry

BY AYUSHEE CHAUDHARY

The pandemic had proven to be a positive force in changing the perception that people largely held for the private aviation industry. With the COVID-19 virus hitting the world, the private aviation market did not see a downfall that was as severe as in the commercial aviation market. It rather witnessed a surge in demand for flights by business jets. The last couple of years ever since COVID hit the world have been a very interesting time for the GA/BA globally,” remarked Rohit Kapur, President, JETHQ Asia during the 7th BizAvIndia Conference.

“After the initial shock, there was a surge in demand for charters and people wanting to purchase aircraft, resulting in a significant explosion in the industry. This kind of growth has not been seen in the last 15 years or so, and as a result, the OEMs were overwhelmed with demand. The pre-owned market also experienced a surge in demand, causing prices to rise to unprecedented levels, and even after these price hikes, finding good quality products was challenging. The charter industry also experienced a surge in demand, but they did not have enough aircraft to meet the demand, putting stress on the infrastructure, MRO, and supply chain,” Kapur added.

The hike in demand during the pandemic was as much as double for some of the operators. So much so that coping with the increasing demand for private jets had become a challenge for the operators of private jets. This was the scenario globally. The Indian General Aviation/Business Aviation (GA/BA) industry also witnessed some of these positive trends and more importantly the due attention came upon this sector of aviation.

Mahesh Iyer, President, Titan Aviation Group underlined that the aviation industry has the potential to be a game-changer. With the right owner’s mentality, businesses can make a lasting impact by flying in private jets, getting deals done and generating revenue through goodwill. Additionally, contributing to the aviation department can further enhance the industry’s growth.

The aviation industry in India has undergone significant changes in recent times, making it a major player on the world stage, echoed Rajan Mehra, CEO, Club One Air. With world leaders

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