New Zealand Aviation: India Trade Mission November 2009
New Zealand showcases its airline-quality aviation training; advanced safety and maintenance capabilities; and technological solutions on the 2-6 November Mission to Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai
Tweet-- A country whose national symbol is the flightless Kiwi bird, New Zealand is a high flyer in international aviation and is playing a major part in the development of the sector in India. Kiwi businesses are now training pilots on behalf of Indian airlines; maintaining the safety of Indian aircraft; and providing technologies that will help India spread its wings as a leading international player.
From Monday 2 November through Friday 6 November, a thirteen-member Trade Mission headed by peak trade body Aviation New Zealand and comprising leading Kiwi business figures will visit Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai to meet with regulators, the Indian business community and the press.
“The mission aims to deepen aviation business ties between our two countries and highlights New Zealand’s surprisingly large role in helping India realise its future in the skies,” says John Nicolson, CEO of Aviation New Zealand, the peak trade body for the industry. “Our presence also underlines the international confidence in the strength and commercial opportunities afforded by India’s aviation market.”
Accompanying Mr Nicholson is a consortium that will supply ready-to-fly pilots to meet the requirements of specific Indian airlines and help ease India’s chronic shortage of airline-quality aviators. The consortium members are Kevin England, CEO of Air Hawke’s Bay; Ian Calvert, CEO of CTC Aviation Training; and Chris England, CEO of International Aviation Academy of NZ.
New Zealand is also offering to increase the number of Indian aircraft engines it services through the Christchurch Engine Centre, represented in the delegation by Sales Manager Steve Robinson. And air travellers in India already enjoy the results of the high-tech secure baggage handling systems provided by Glidepath, whose Regional Sales Manager, Rajesh Kalra, will be part of the Mission.
Offering expertise and technological solutions to address Indian needs in maintenance, support and skilled staff are Jennifer Lund, Aviation Training Sales at Air New Zealand Airline Training; and Mike Lynskey, Director Business Development at ASPEQ. Software solutions provided by Superstructure Group (CEO Ted Thomas) will help reduce and address human errors to improve safety on the ground and in the air.
The visit is the second Mission to India by Aviation New Zealand. Since the first was held in May 2008, New Zealand successes here include growing numbers of kiwi-trained pilots working for Air India and other carriers. Indian graduate students have also taken up work as commercial instructors in New Zealand
There has been a rise in the volume of Indian aircraft engines serviced at the Christchurch Aviation Centre. Kiwi-designed baggage and security systems have been installed in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata with work in progress at Kochi and Indore.
New Zealand has been in international aviation from the beginning when on 31 March 1903, Kiwi inventor Richard Pearse may have successfully flown and landed a powered aircraft some nine months before the Wright Brothers.
More than 800 aviation business now flourish in New Zealand, exporting goods and services worth around NZ$800m (Rs27.8bn) annually, including sophisticated IT and manufacturing enterprises. The country manufactured its 1,000th aircraft in September 2009.
Aviation is a vital industry for an island isolated from the world. This insular geography isolation also makes New Zealand an excellent destination for training pilots and the country’s varied terrain and uncluttered, open airspace mean it is currently host to more than 100 Indian students at 15 flight training centres.
Notes to Editor
Aviation New Zealand Ltd
www.aviationnz.co.nz
Aviation New Zealand was launched on the world stage at the New Delhi Airport and Airline Expo in March 2008 as part of a trade delegation to India. NZ’s peak aviation body is focused on building aviation relationships with India, China, southeast Asia and Oceania. Its dedicated Indian market development programme aims to strengthen and broaden existing relationships, including introducing some new and committed NZ companies to India.
Aviation NZ CEO John Nicolson has made international business development a career, living and working in London, Fiji, Australia and Singapore with extensive travel around the globe. He has worked for the New Zealand government in senior trade development roles for around a decade, taking up the role of Chief Executive of Aviation New Zealand in February 2008. Married with three children, John is a keen sportsman interested in cricket, rugby and skiing. A former secondary school rugby coach, John considers hiking around Machu Picchu in Chile as one of the highlights of his life.
Air Hawke's Bay Ltd
www.airhb.co.nz
Specialising in providing complete training for students and air charter operators around the world, Air Hawke’s Bay combines employment of qualified trainers with ownership of an aerodrome, aircraft and simulators. Indian students of the Hastings-based company have gone on to work for Air India, the Coast Guard and to instruct others in New Zealand. Established in 1928, Air Hawke’s Bay was the first New Zealand training provider to be accredited with CAA Part 141.
The company is represented at the Mission by CEO Kevin England. Air Hawke’s Bay graduates are a high success rate in obtaining aviation employment, achieved through the company’s favourable instructor-to-staff ratios and quality systems. There are 15 instructors in its staff of 20. The company is the wholly-owned subsidiary of the Hawke’s Bay & East Coast Aero Club Inc. Students fly in new C172 aircraft and train on a Garmin 1000 glass cockpit simulator.
Air New Zealand Airline Training
Air New Zealand Airline Training is the training division of national flag carrier, Air New Zealand. Employing 140 staff, the division trains pilots, maintenance engineers, flight attendants and ground staff for the company as well as third-party airlines, operators and maintenance and repair organisations around the globe. Flight and maintenance training services are provided for Airbus A320 Family, ATR 42/72 Series and Boeing 777 aircraft.
The company is represented at the Mission by Jennifer Lund, Aviation Training Sales. During the past year, Air New Zealand has assisted operators of Boeing 777, Airbus A320 and ATR42/72 aircraft to meet their flight crew and maintenance engineer training requirements, through the provision of excess simulator capacity, flight crew type ratings and offshore maintenance courses.
ASPEQ Ltd
Specialising in regulatory assessment, ASPEQ provides computer-based examination services for issuing licences and ratings to pilots, air crew and aircraft maintenance engineers. The company is one of few in the world to be trusted by civil aviation authorities to provide aviation, crew and maintenance exams (Australia, Macau, Mauritius, NZ, Singapore and UAE), an area ASPEQ is keen to explore with Indian officials. A number of Indian students in New Zealand have already taken Kiwi pilot training exams provided through ASPEQ. Bookings and exam results are provided over the internet, with exams delivered in secure computer centres
Mike Lynskey, Director Business Development has worked at ASPEQ since 1995, drawing on his background as a serving engineering officer in the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) and five years leading maintenance operations and large projects at Air New Zealand. An MBA graduate from Massey University, Mike is a keen cross country runner at the masters and national level and also puts his engineering talents to work restoring classic sports cars. Mike has two daughters, one of whom is continuing in the family tradition serving in the RNZAF as flight crew on a P3 Orion aircraft.
Christchurch Engine Centre
Christchurch Engine Centre is a joint venture between global aircraft engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney and national flag carrier Air New Zealand Ltd. It is one of six specialised service centres in the world that performs heavy engine maintenance for specific engine types, including one turbo prop and two turbofan models. It offers OEM-supported overhaul, and has the master test cell for the Dart, JT8D-Std, V2500-A1 and -D5.
The company is represented in the Mission by Steve Robinson, Manager Sales & Customer Service. The centre has worked on V2500 engine heavy maintenance for Indian A320 operators since 2007.The centre performs V2500 overhauls for customers throughout the Asia-Pacific and Middle East and services JT8D and Dart engines for customers world-wide.
CTC Aviation Training
Hamilton-based CTC Aviation Training is the New Zealand arm of a UK group that provides professional pilot training and resourcing for airlines worldwide. CTC recently partnered with the Park Institute of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu to develop a world-class pilot training facility and is in talks with other companies in India concerning similar operations. CTC sees India as a major part of its global strategy despite the difficult climate for aviation worldwide.
A qualified, Category A aviation instructor accredited by Massey University, IanCalvert, CEO of CTC Aviation Training has been preparing pilots for flight for many years. Originally a farmer, Ian has during his career flown night freight operations in Beech Baron and Piper Chieftain aircraft; operated his own flying school; and held Chief Flying Instructor roles before joining CTC. A father of six and grandfather of two, Ian also has a keen interest in Formula One and V8 Supercar motorsports.
International Aviation Academy of NZ (IAANZ)
Operating since 1928, IAANZ specialises in quality, professional aviation training for commercial pilots from New Zealand and abroad. Based at an international airport set in NZ’s rugged South Island, IAANZ provides spectacular but demanding training that gives its trainees a competitive edge. International contracts and students are a key element of IAANZ’s strategy, especially the Indian market which supplies more than 20% of IAANZ’s students. The company recently won a contract to offer the private pilot license component of training for Hong Kong air traffic controllers.
Chris English, CEO of IAANZ has had a diverse career spanning many forms of management. A professional executive, he has held senior roles in local government, education and social services, including the Red Cross. His educational background is similarly broad with qualifications in teaching, agriculture and commerce. He is a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Management and a member of NZ’s Institute of Directors.
Glidepath
Glidepath is a global leader in airport-baggage and air-cargo handling systems with more than 500 projects in 60 companies under its belt. The Auckland-based company has a representative office in India, a country it views as a target growth region given the recent and upcoming upgrades of Indian airports. The company has received commissions for nine projects worth around US$11m in India including installations at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Kochi and Indore airports.
India Regional Sales Manager Rajesh Kalra joined Glidepath in 2005 where his 15 years work experience in India saw him rise quickly to spearhead the company’s operations in Mumbai. An engineering graduate from Bangalore University, he worked in technical sales for several chemical and pharmaceutical projects before moving to New Zealand where he was forced to start afresh as petrol station attendant. He is now dealing with air facilities throughout India tendering Glidepath’s solutions.
Superstructure Group Ltd
Superstructure Group keep flyers and flights safe with its leading aviation safety and risk management software. The Wellington-based company delivers a fully integrated system for managing all aspects of risk and regulatory compliance in a business, including safety, security, environmental management, quality assurance and occupational safety. Superstructure Group signed up its first Indian customer in June 2008 when Jet Airways selected its AQD software for safety and quality management.
Ted Thomas, CEO of Superstructure Group has more than 20-years experience in executive management, treasury, software development, sales and marketing. Ted is both versed in the financial and operational demands of growing businesses and much larger operations, where he has overseen the merger of an international banking software business and a US publicly listed company. As CEO, Ted has responsibility for developing the business strategy and the company's performance, and oversees the financial and contractual management of Superstructure Group.
