Saturday, March 01, 2008 Aviation firm sees industry boom amid rising fuel prices
DESPITE rising fuel prices, an aviation company reported growth in its flight training and aircraft brokerage businesses.
Jemar Bahinting, president of Aviatour, said the company’s flight training business saw a significant increase in the number of enrollees.
She said the flight training school now has more than 100 students, mostly foreigners.
She added that foreigners prefer to undergo flight training in the Philippines because of lower costs and "a little bit more positive conditions than in areas where they come from."
Bahinting said the Aviatour flight training school is the largest in Cebu and the second biggest nationwide.
The company’s three hangars house at least 30 aircraft for flight training, tours and charter flights.
Sales of Aviatour's aircraft brokerage (buy and sell of aircraft) business also grew last year.
"These (brokerage and flight training school) are our strongest lines," Bahinting said.
Aviatour also expects more customers for its flight tour and charter flight businesses, with the anticipated increase in tourist arrivals next month.
Bahinting admitted, though, that—like the rest of the global aviation industry—the growth of the Aviatour flight training school is hampered by lack of pilots. “With the increasing number of enrollees, the flight training school could grow further but we don’t have enough instructors,” she said.
She also said that the company also puts emphasis on safety, which is why it can only accept the best instructors. “And, of course, we have to get the best because we’re the highest paying flight school in the country,” she added.
Bahinting said the company is also adversely affected by the operations of fly-by-night chartered flight companies.
She said Aviatour is accredited with the Department of Tourism but has lost some potential customers to fly-by-night operators.
She said, though, that the company has many satisfied customers who come back and avail themselves of Aviatour’s services.
Among Aviatour’s regular customers are business executives and politicians.
Aviatour has been operating in Lapu-Lapu City since 2006 but the Bahintings’ first aviation company, JMB Aviation, was established in 1997 yet. Aside from flight training and aircraft brokerage, Aviatour offers flight tours over Cebu and Bohol. LAP
