PhilJets plans to add aircraft this year to meet growing demand
PHILJETS Group is planning to add four to five aircraft to its fleet this year, as the company seeks to address growing demand from domestic and international customers.
“We need both lighter single engine and lighter twin- engine helicopter in our fleet, as well as a good twin-engine turboprop fixed wing,” Augustus Elciario, head of charter services at PhilJets, was quoted as saying in a statement.
Geoffroy Cahen, PhilJets head of sales and marketing, said the company is working to address requests from customers to acquire certain aircraft types or brands.
With the additional aircraft, its fleet will exceed P4.5 billion in asset value under management this year. In 2017, PhilJets acquired two helicopters ( 1 Bell 407 GX and 1 Airbus H145) and three fixed wing aircraft (1 Bombardier Challenger 350 and 2 Cessna Citation XLS+) to end the year with 11, with an asset value of P3.8 billion.
For this year, the business aviation operator is considering expansion into the education, logistics and tourism sectors, as it plans to open bases in the provinces.
PhilJets is also working to upgrade its license from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAAP) from non-scheduled domestic to non-scheduled international, which is key to entering the jet market. The company has a Cessna Citation XLS+ and a Cessna Citation Business Jet, as it plans to capture a slice of the region’s business aviation market.
“It is very challenging to manage growth for a start- up in aviation, we are looking at innovating opportunities and the best way to develop them while always keeping safety and customer service as our core priorities,” PhilJets Chairman Thierry Tea was quoted as saying.
PhilJets is a company of the Starline Global Industries Group. Its units include PhilJets Aero Services, Inc. and PhilJets Aero Charter Corporation.