Rituparna Chatterjee – Mumbai
Baron Aviation recently launched ‘BookMyCharters’, an online booking platform for private jets in India. The platform has pooled in more than 12 private jet operators with a combined fleet of over 40 aircraft. Five private jet operators and 10 aircraft are expected to be added to this portfolio. BookMyCharters is an air charter marketplace which is integrated with the operator’s dashboard giving real time information to the customers. Speaking about this launch, Rajeev Wadhwa, chairman and CEO, Baron Aviation stated, “BookMyCharters was registered on September 28, 2012 and went live on December 2015. The idea was to create an auction platform where a private jet operator on ground can quote the lowest price to attract customers. Through BookMyCharters, we plan to integrate over 60 per cent of the Indian private aircraft over the next eight-12 weeks and also bring 30 per cent new customers to the Indian charter market.”
Elaborating on this platform, Wadhwa added, “BookMyCharters can cover 149 airports and serve 22,000 routes. The platform presently is India centric and we would cover international destinations in the near future. The air charter space in India mainly constitutes offline operators and agents. Through BookMyCharters, we aim to counter the inefficiencies of this opaque system.”
When asked if the company would work with travel agents in India to promote this platform, Pranav Parikh, director, Baron Aviation stated, “We would want to identify and create packages with tour operators in the coming future.”
The profile of customers opting for private jets in India include – the entertainment industry, political parties, corporates, youth and women, international travellers and ultra HNIs and NRIs. Giving his views on the future of this industry, Wadhwa opined, “Presently, the total charter market in India is pegged at Rs 1800 crore and it is expected to grow to Rs 5000 crore by 2020.”