S’pore aviation firm expands in Southeast Asia

SINGAPORE-BASED private aviation company Yugo Global Industries Pte Ltd recently released its newest charter routes in Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines to further cement its regional foothold and capitalise on growing demand for private air travel in Asia.

“Leveraging on its network of helicopters and jets, Yugo is the first air mobility platform that connects Southeast Asia to the whole of Asia Pacific,” the firm said.

“Currently operating in Southeast Asia, Yugo has been growing its customers reach and its fleet in the region within less than a year, amid the pandemic.”

Yugo commercial manager Camille Ngo said: “Our mission is to provide the possibility for our customers to fly private anywhere, anytime, by helicopters or private jets.

“We aim to reach a sustainable state of aviation, taking into account environmental aspects and societal responsibility,” she said.

Yugo said it has acquired a fleet of more than 50 aircrafts to be used in its proposed charter flights to over 150 destinations in Asia.

The aviation firm said its network comprises private jets from manufacturers such as Gulfstream Aerospace Corp, Bombardier Inc, Cessna Aircraft Co, Textron Aviation Inc and Dassault Aviation SA, as well as helicopters from Bell Textron Inc, Airbus Helicopters SAS, Leonardo SpA and Robinson Helicopter Co.

“The aircrafts are selected for the comfort and privacy of passengers from Dubai to Langkawi, Cebu to Bali, Sihanoukville to Shanghai or Koh Samui to El Nido, travelling for business or leisure,” it said.

Yugo CEO Jim Baldy, however, pointed out that the Covid-19 pandemic has radically transformed the travel industry since last year.

“This is the most challenging chapter of aviation in history and it has tested our resilience. We have adjusted our value proposition to best serve our customers in the most flexible, safe and secured way possible.

“With all obstacles we faced, we had to find ways to innovate, maintain our performance and move forward through 2020 and 2021,” he said.