Newstrack

Jeppesen to enter India through Hyderabad by Q3

Plans to integrate curriculum with city aviation institute

Andrea Lopez - Mumbai

Boeing subsidiary Jeppesen Commercial & Military Aviation, known for its navigation and operation solutions to airlines the world over, has expressed concrete plans of setting up shop in India to make its services available to Indian carriers.

Headquartered in Colorado, the company initially began as a publisher of airway manuals and a producer of navigation databases for aviation operators. Today it has diversified into a technology-driven information solutions provider. Max Ali, director (Business Development) for Jeppesen (India, Africa & Middle East), said, "We have reached a point where we can justify having a physical presence in this country to bring our flight planning, scheduling, fuelling and ground handling solutions to the Indian airlines."

The company will set up office in Hyderabad by the third quarter of 2008 and has plans to secure 50 per cent of its clientele in the first two years of operation. "Our initial target will be to get as many airlines as possible to opt for our integrated operations solutions," says Ali. Jeppesen's other services include fleet management, dispatch services, movement control, runway analysis, navigation solutions as well as professional services and training.

It is also in talks with Hyderabad-based Flytech Aviation Academy to integrate its commercial aviation training curriculum with that of the institute. The company hopes that its solutions, both navigational and operational, will help in improving efficiency at a time when the industry is grappling with rise in fuel prices, changing regulatory requirements and other bottlenecks.