Executive aviation resumes vigor in second half
DCI
The companies specialized in the sale of products and services aimed at executive planes (twin-engined airplanes, jets and helicopters) believe the winds of the second half will be more positive for the resumption of the business, after the economic turbulence that caused retraction in the commercial area of the sector this year.
The mood of the companies became better with the holding, in the capital of the state of São Paulo, of the Latin America Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (Labace), which starts today and goes up to the 15 (Saturday), in Congonhas. Held by the Brazilian General Aviation Association (ABAG) the fair estimates sales 10% bigger than those of the previous edition. The number is below the 60% of increase seen in 2008, but the association believes in the reheating of the market, in spite of having reviewed the goals for the event. The sector has operations of nearly US$ 450 million in the Country and is composed by a fleet with more than 1.6 thousand aircrafts, 65% of them concentrated in the State of São Paulo.
In the case of TAM Aviação Executiva - that originated the TAM group, at a time when it was still called Táxi Aéreo Marilia -, little by little the sales of jets and helicopters are resumed. "We will benefit from the resumption of the economy. We will start to grow again in 2010, with total recovery until 2012", foresees Marco Antonio Bologna, CEO of TAM.
The reheating to which Bologna refers to is the selling of 35 aircrafts still this year, a number equivalent to that sold in 2006. The executive explained it will be not possible to repeat, in 2009, the mark of 80 planes seen in 2008, but he believes going back to the base of two years ago it will be possible to increase the performance within the next three years.
In the jet area, TAM saw the cancelling of 50% of the orders in 2009, but it says it is only a delay on the part of the purchasers. The company confirmed that in the first half, taking into consideration all the segments of executive planes it represents, it closed 17 deals, compared to the 35 it wants to achieve. Besides that, for the company, the retraction in the segment of helicopters was very small.
When placed as the biggest company of the executive aviation market of the Country, Líder Aviação from Minas Gerais, enters into a partnership with Bristow, a helicopter company, to operate in operations aimed at the oil industry. The company closed the sale of 12 new planes this year, but it calculates it will reach 40 sales until the end of 2009. In order to cater to the segments which it has laid its eyes onto (it also wants to increase the operation in the agribusiness), the company purchased, for US$ 27 million, its first large-sized helicopter from Sikorsky. It also increased its operations base in Curitiba (PR).
Another company that is optimistic with new business is Helibras, which is Latin America's only producer of helicopters. In the segment of helicopters, the company says it has a 46% market share.