Dedicated to charter

A NEW air charter company is looking to grow its business during the economic slowdown after identifying a niche market opportunity.

Revesco Aviation manager Gary Gaunt said the company offered larger corporate aircraft dedicated solely to providing a charter service for corporate clients.

"The difference between our aircraft and most other big aircraft is that big aircraft have been available when owners are not using them, but then somebody books a charter and the owner would say, 'we need the aircraft,' and the charter would be cancelled," he said.

"It presented limited business opportunities and was not 100 per cent reliable. We wanted to raise the bar, which is why we'll only operate airline-transport-category aircraft. If our charter has been booked, it will be available."

Chartering a Cesna Citation since 2006, the company bought a larger Challenger jet last year, and in November was certified to operate it commercially.

"We recognised there was a place in the market for a dedicated charter airplane of that size," Mr Gaunt told Business Class.

Mr Gaunt said there currently was a trend, particularly in the US, for companies to downsize, selling company owned jets and cancelling new orders.

"This is exactly the time when you need to have charter aircraft available for people who can't justify or afford to buy their own, but need the flexibility and benefits of their own aircraft without spending the money to buy one," he said.

"I've been through four of these economic turmoil-type times, and it's when time becomes the most valuable thing. You may have to streamline your operation, reduce the number of staff, and that means you have to use the ones you've got left more effectively."

Australian Business Aircraft Association executive director David Bell said Western Australia had always been one of the strongest states for aviation charter because of the strong mining presence.

"I know there has been a bit of a downturn in the mining sector, but it's still very active," he said.

Mr Bell said while the number of private jets in Australia had risen by 50 per cent over the past four years, that pattern would not continue in the next four years.

"If times are tough you've really got to sell your aircraft. Some will sell, but many of the companies will hang onto their business jets," he said.

"They want the privacy, the security, the freedom to work while travelling."

Mick Rowbottom, general manager of AVWest, which shares the fixed base operator space at Perth Jet Centre with Revesco, said the company had experienced steady business over the past 18 months.

He said there had been a slight downturn in local aviation, but said it was reflective of a global phenomenon and didn't have anything to do with the WA economy.