Restrictions ease up, private jet users can come and go as they please. Mumbai's high-net worth individuals not so lucky
Restrictions ease up, private jet users can come and go as they please. Mumbai's high-net worth individuals not so lucky
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Private jet owners in Mumbai are not allowed to fly out during peak morning and evening hours as the city's runways are too congested. Picture for representational purposes only u00a0Pic/Sameer Markande |
However, with Mumbai airport still under severe strain and operating with a single runway either the main runway or secondary runway removal of restrictions anytime soon is unlikely. This has left Mumbai-based operators and private jet owners seething.
"Mumbai is receiving step-motherly treatment, though the demand for slots is at times more than Delhi," said Pradeep Thampi of Easy Jet Aviation Services. Sources at DGCA said their hand had been forced after several incidents where private jets messed up schedules for regular passenger aircrafts.
"The rate of go-around (aircraft circling over the airport due to a last minute hitch) had shot up, forcing the civil aviation ministry to act," said D K Behera, general secretary of Air Traffic Controllers Guild.
"Continued restrictions for Mumbai will make it difficult for corporate fliers," added Atul Khekade, CEO of Mumbai-based private air-charter service provider Airnetz Aviation. The flying restrictions have severely affected plans of operators like Airnetz to make private jets available in the least possible time. "While Santacruz airport is saturated, the runway length at Juhu airport is short and will have to be extended into the sea to ease out flying of private jets," said Thampi.
A senior Tata executive said corporate houses had no choice but to fly out of Mumbai before 5 am. "Most private jets are slotted for early morning take-offs between 7 am and 8 am and late night landings," said general manager (aerodrome), Mumbai, M G Jhungare.
"Clients at times have gone back to flying by scheduled airlines due to these timing issues. Hopefully that will change for Delhi now," said GMR Aviation head Amit Sinha. He added that when private jet fliers could not find convenience they instantly started looking out for alternatives.
Aviation expert Leonard Knaapen observed that it was the rising number of high net worth individuals (HNWIs) in India that made it an attractive market. "India has the third largest number of millionaires in the world after the US and Germany. But instead of giving this more thrust, the government is just complicating private flying," Knaapen pointed out.
A study conducted by private jet manufacturer Bombardier, says that for every 400 hours a businessman flies his jet, he saves almost a month's time. A Bombardier executive said that while Laxmi Mittal's 'Global Express' allows him to skip crowded international airports in Britain, it has met with turbulence in India. "The aircraft may have cost Mittal over Rs 200 crore, but his quick movement has already saved him several times that money," an aviation analyst said.
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