Bird Group partners with VistaJet to offer world class business aviation experience
Bangalore, 12 February 2009: Bird Group, India’s fastest growing travel conglomerate today announced an exclusive marketing agreement with VistaJet Holding S.A. headquartered in Switzerland and the fastest growing business jet company outside North America. The agreement was signed by Ankur Bhatia, Executive Director, Bird Group and Ira Trivedi from VistaJet at Aero India 2009, Bangalore.
As per the agreement, Bird Group will be in charge of the marketing of VistaJet in the Indian subcontinent which includes India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. In order to meet the full range of customer needs, VistaJet operates a diversified fleet of Learjet 40 XR* and Learjet 60XR* aircraft, Challenger 300*, Challenger 604*, Challenger 605* and Challenger 850* jets, and the Global Express XRS* jet.
It is interesting to note that, according to Business Aviation Association for India (BAAI), Indian skies account for 166 private jets including multi-engine fixed wings and turboprops and 193 helicopters. While general aviation industry faces several challenges, there is room for more players in the private aviation market in the country.
Commenting on the partnership, Ankur Bhatia, Executive Director, Bird Group said, “There continues to be growth potential for the private jet market in India as it brings flexibility in timing and location for high-end corporate travel in India. We have seen that India's private aviation sector continues to grow and we believe that it still has good mid- to long-term prospects. Our alliance with VistaJet aims to revolutionize the business aviation landscape and facilitate customers to experience luxury at an affordable cost.”
Commenting on the alliance, Ira Trivedi, VistaJet representative for India said, “India continues to be among the fastest growing economies in the world despite the global slowdown. So, we have been looking to enter the Indian market for a quite some time. We believe that this alliance is a key step in our strategy to expand into the Indian market in association with a reliable Indian partner. Our hubs in Malaysia and the Middle East are well-equipped to service India’s needs.”
About Bird Group
The Bird Group was founded in 1971 with the incorporation of Bird Travels. Today, with over 40 years of experience and more than 40 offices supported by over 3500 well trained staff and an impressive clientele of over 500 top corporates, Bird Group can claim to be one of the largest and most diversified entities within the industry in the Indian subcontinent. With businesses as diverse as pioneering back-office processing to being the representative for many of the world’s leading airlines; from managing the backbone of the technological framework for airline IT and distribution to managing crucial relationships of international service providers, Bird Group has ensured that a comprehensive portfolio of service offering has been created to add value to and extensive client base and new ad potential customers. And in recent months, Bird Group has taken bold steps to increasing the value offering while broadening business horizons with new ventures. Today Bird Group’s core business includes Travel Technology, Comprehensive Airline Representation & Management, Hospitality, Passenger Aviation Services & Ground Handling, Cargo Management, Education & Training, Business Consultancy & Luxury Retail. Together, the various companies within these verticals generate direct revenue in excess of USD 100 Million.
For more information, visit the Bird Group website www.bird.in
About VistaJet
VistaJet is a privately-owned company headquartered in Switzerland, and the fastest growing private jet company outside of North America. By offering complete, end-to-end service, VistaJet provides the most comprehensive and luxurious level of customer service possible. In June 2008, VistaJet acquired the business of Skyjet International, heralding a new era in business aviation. The complementary synergies and strengths of the two companies are in line with founder Thomas Flohr’s vision to create the world’s leading business aviation provider. With a number of customer service centers in Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific, and a fleet soon to number 90 aircraft, VistaJet is revolutionizing the business aviation landscape world-wide by coupling pure luxury with affordability. Maximizing its fleet of state of the art, medium to ultra-long range jets have an average age of less than three years, VistaJet offers the complete range of Flight Solutions, with innovative membership, partnership and ownership programs.
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