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New Delhi, 16 April 2008 : Bird Air Services, a wholly-owned subsidiary of India’s fastest growing travel conglomerate Bird Group, today signed an exclusive agreement with Regourd Aviation, a global professional aircraft dealer and broker specializing in the sale of business airplanes and helicopters. The agreement was signed between Ankur Bhatia, Executive Director, Bird Group and Alan Regourd, CEO, Regourd Aviation. Under the terms of the agreement Bird Air Services will market Regourd Aviation in the Indian subcontinent (India, Srilanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Maldives and Bhutan) and provide the growing Indian general aviation market with access to a variety of business airplanes and helicopters. The two entities are also considering the possibility of establishing a joint venture entity in India to further expand the partnership in the General Aviation space with provision for high-end fixed based operations. The General Aviation Industry in India is growing at a rapid pace with rising affluence, increased investments in aviation infrastructure, record corporate profitability, increasing tourism as well as strong support from the government. India at present has only 250 aircraft but CAPA estimates that there is a market for 500 general aviation aircraft by 2020 & may reach 1000, including replacement of current fleet, presenting a business opportunity of US$ 80 billion. Most players in Indian Aviation Industry and analysts indicate an aggressive fleet acquisition plan to expand their fleet by nearly 250 additional aircraft. Elaborating on the partnership Ankur Bhatia, Executive Director, Bird Group said,“The Bird Group has been a forerunner in the travel, tourism and aviation space for almost four decades, with a touch point in every vertical of the industry. The right strategic step for us is to help cater to the growing demand in air traffic in India. We are delighted to represent Regourd Aviation in this region and support them in selling high-quality and technically superior business airplanes & helicopters to the high net-worth Indian consumers, corporate giants as well as government organisations. By not limiting our offering to a single manufacturer, we are able to offer an independent opinion and a wide variety of aircraft types. To facilitate our customers, we will offer an array of support services over and above the sale and maintenance of the aircraft.” At present, the Ministry of Civil Aviation of India is reviewing a proposal to increase the foreign direct investment limit to 74% in the non-scheduled and ancillary sector. Commenting on the alliance, Alan Regourd, CEO, Regourd Aviation added, “We are extremely pleased to partner with Bird Air Services as its parent company, Bird Group has a promising track record in the aviation business, an extensive network within the Indian subcontinent and access to tremendous resources. In partnership with Bird Air Services, we aim to properly tap the immense potential of the General Aviation segment in India.”
Notes to the Editor About Bird Group The Bird Group is one of the largest diversified groups in the aviation, travel and information technology arena. Bird Group is a conglomerate of several companies encompassing a wide range of travel & tourism services covering eight verticals- Travel Technology, Airline Representation, Hospitality, Passenger Aviation Services, Cargo Management, Consultancy, Education and Retail. Bird Group’s beginnings date back to 1971 with the formation of Bird Travels. Since then the company has represented or engaged in joint ventures with several International brands, is recognized as a technology leader within the Industry and is credited with being a pioneer of back-office processing in India. Based in Delhi, The Chairman of the Bird Group is Mrs. Radha Bhatia, a woman entrepreneur who has been conferred on with several awards and has leadership positions in several industry associations. With a turnover of over 66 Million US Dollars, a workforce of nearly 4,500 employees, 50 fully automated offices across the Indian subcontinent and multiple collaborations with leading global business organizations, the group continues to grow and strengthen its network of services. More information about Amadeus’ solutions for airlines is available at: www.bird.in About Regourd Aviation Headquartered in Paris, France, Regourd Aviation is a professional aircraft dealer & broker specialized in the sale of business airplanes & helicopters. From Eurocopter's EC120B to Dassault's Falcon 7X, Regourd Specialists create the scenario ensuring clients realize the optimal aircraft transaction. For over 30 years, Regourd Aviation has been serving clients around the globe. Today, it is driven by an international network, strong technical expertise & market knowledge. With its strong track record in having established several airline companies around the world, Regourd Aviation understands the intricacies of aircraft operations and offers a variety of client-tailored services such as Trade, Leasing, Crew Management and / or Spare Parts’ solutions. More information, visit : www.regourd.com For further information please contact: Amita Tandan Charles Carneiro |
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Copyright © 2007, Bird Group
Copyright © 2007, Bird Group