Comparing October of this year versus October 2008 activity is up 2.5%, the turboprop aircraft sector led the improvement with the fractional segment showing the strongest overall results at 26.1% above October 2008 meanwhile the small cabin jet fractional segment is down by 24.5%.
This trend clearly shows business aviation users repositioning their needs on lower operating costs through cost effective aircrafts such as Avantair’s fleet of Piaggio Avanti. “We continue to see people leaving other higher-cost fractional and charter card companies and coming to us for value,” said Steve Santo President and CEO of Avantair in a recent interview. Much of the growth at Avantair is from card and block charter customers, with sales up 81 percent year over year, according to Santo. People who can afford to buy fractional shares still have a need to travel, but they are wary of owning capital assets. “Everybody is looking at costs” he said.
With most of the Middle East business aviation operators being oriented towards the VIP segment the increasing demand for cost effective travel solutions opens a large opportunity to develop new corporate oriented aviation services, more particularly in the GCC countries. Thanks to its outstanding performances in hot environment associated to a large stand-up cabin and 40% lower operating costs the Piaggio Avanti is definitely one of the most adapted aircraft to take advantage of this opportunity to lead the regional business aviation industry's recovery.
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