Business & GA

EBACE 2008: VistaJet joins Subang’s Malaysian hub

Europe’s largest privately-owned business jet charter operator, VistaJet, has joined with Malaysia’s Subang SkyPark to provide on-demand charter operations in the Asia-Pacific region.

VistaJet will initially base two Bombardier aircraft, a Challenger 850 and a Challenger 605 together worth around $60 million, at the old Kuala Lumpur airport for its ownership and on-demand charter programmes.

Speaking at EBACE on Monday, VistaJet’s CEO Bing Chen said the Swiss-based company plans on “creating a network in Asia by placing aircraft in Malaysia as a hub, and expanding in the near future to India, China and Dubai, where talks are now underway to establish sales networks and aircraft to be based in the region”.

Subang SkyPark’s business and GA facility - based in Terminal 3 of the old Kuala Lumpur airport - is undergoing stage one of a $100m transformation that will eventually feature an air terminal, hangar complex and FBO and MRO facilities.

A separate wing – named SkyLounge, for private business jet passengers - features a VVIP area along with a cigar lounge, bar, kitchenette, toilets, showers, changing rooms and a gym as well as crew lounge and rest area. SkyLounge also features its own immigration and customs facilities, along with separate vehicle access, for total privacy and security.

According to Subang SkyPark’s executive director, Datuk Ravindran Menon, speaking at EBACE yesterday (Monday), the airport is already attracting 2,600 GA movements a year, although it is planned to increase this by 30% over the next 12 months.

He says: “Malaysia has enjoyed a very successful commercial aviation industry but what was missing was a focused corporate aviation sector. In just two months we have successfully created a world-class FBO in Subang to service both corporate and GA needs.”

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