SINGAPORE: More people in Asia, particularly Singapore, are adopting the private jet lifestyle.
WingsOverAsia, a social network of private aviators has seen membership grown to over 1000, since it was established two years ago.
Whether it's for a
humanitarian mission, or just a holiday, more in Singapore are flying on
private planes to their destinations - typically in Asia, from
Singapore's Seletar Airport.
And most of them do not own a plane - just a paid membership with WingsOverAsia.
Joseph
Gotuaco, chief financial officer of WingsOverAsia, said: "WingsOverAsia
in many ways is about lowering the barriers to having the private pilot
experience. We are trying to make it easier for you to fly, we are
trying to make it cheaper for you to fly."
WingsOverAsia has three planes and looks after 16 other planes owned by its members based in Singapore, some of whom are CEOs.
The
organisation offers a scheme where those without planes can get the
opportunity to fly another member's plane - for as low as S$480 per
hour.
Members can also go on flying tours.
WingsOverAsia,
with its network of aviators from around the region, has the expertise
to settle all the administrative and logistics involved when flying
across borders.
Ng Yeow Meng, managing director of WingsOverAsia,
said: "What we do is that we plan the itinerary, but they actually form
their own groups within the members to go on tour. It varies because a
short trip... a weekend getaway to maybe Phuket or somewhere in
Malaysia, could be a few hundred dollars (and) does not cost much."
But private aviation in Singapore hasn't quite taken off in a big way.
That could be due to infrastructural constraints, like the lack of parking spaces at Seletar Airport.
"In
Singapore, we have our infrastructure constraints, I guess the
government has many other priorities as far as devoting land... and
human resources to support private aviation, but what we try to do is to
understand those constraints, and kind of balance it with requirements
and we work closely with authorities," said Ng.
The organisation recently held its annual networking dinner with aviators around the region, for the first time in Singapore.
- CNA/cc
???how much for a Lear jet?
can i just fly to changi?