From the Editor-in-Chief

Caution is a must at all challenging times, but we all must remain conscious enough to avoid being over-cautious which may lead to destructive results. The Business Aviation industry enables the following for the large corporations and their leadership:

• Business Leaders’ outreach to the far flung and remote areas in shortest possible timings without any compromise on the key requirements of certain precautions including social distancing which are needed during such times of global pandemic;
• Large industries/factories run 24x7 and 365 days. The personal visit of the Leadership and their top executives to these facilities, help the personalised interaction with the various level of workers continuously working in their facilities to ensure regular outputs. Such requirements cannot be substituted by any virtual interactions;
• Compared to Commercial airlines which carry 100-200 passengers almost unfamiliar to each other there by being the platforms and spreader for infectious viruses, the smaller aircraft (operated under NSOPs) carry a very limited number of people belonging to the specific corporations, diminishing any risks of infection from the coronavirus;
• It is important to understand that the operations of smaller aircraft should not be disrupted as they eventually help in contributing towards the larger objectives of economic survival and revival.

In this edition of BizAvIndia, we have an eminent Guest under Special Guest column. The noted Industrialist who has been elected twice as the Member of Parliament for Lok Sabha, Naveen Jindal describes very meticulously as to how necessary and therefore important Business Aviation and General Aviation industry is. Particularly, during the times of such unpredicted challenges caused by COVID-19. He suggests that the smaller aircraft flight operations categorised under NSOP (Non-Scheduled Operators Permits holders) should be allowed with immediate effect, especially for the industries that fall under essential services, and the industries responsible for the survival and revival of economy. The travel of industries’ leadership and the top executives by smaller aircraft remains well within the norms of social distancing and other precautions that are needed to fight the coronavirus.

This edition further includes a detailed deliberation on the Way Forward versus COVID-19 by Rohit Kapur, President Asia at JetHQ and former President of BAOA. He argues for the initiatives which urgently need to be taken by the government to ease the pain and help the industry to survive. Supporting and complimenting Rohit’s piece of thought, there are some important industry voices conveying top 5 specific pointers in support of Business Aviation and General Aviation.

All this and much more in this issue of BizAvIndia.

We wish all of our valuable readers, the best of safety and security!