One example of this is a program called
Power by the Hour. “For every hour one
of our aircraft flies, the customers will pay us
X amount of money and we will pay our
vendors Y amount of money. So, the more
we fly, the more money the vendors get.
“The big thing about this is that the
OEMs will provide us with the spare parts
and critical components for the aircraft. We
don’t buy them; they’re supplied by the
vendors. They are housed somewhere where
we operate and the parts are swapped when
needed. We just pay a minimal fee for
housing those parts. It works very well.”
In addition to working closely with its
customers, General Muhammad says, Weststar
Aviation will continue to examine other
opportunities. Undaunted by the slowdown
of growth in the sector, it aims to “expand
vigorously into regional and global areas”.One possibility for expansion is in the
Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO)
area. Weststar Aviation has been voted
preferred partner for MRO by Professional
Pilot magazine a number of times, although
General Muhammad says the company has
ruled out having a more extensive footprint
in the MRO space for now. “That’s a
completely different business altogether,” he
says. “If we want synergy, the opportunities
will be in the government sector. That sector
requires aircraft, whether they are from the
civilian government or from military or
paramilitary organisations.” Weststar has
already made a number of proposals to the
government in the aviation space, leveraging
General Muhammad’s military background
as well as the company’s core competency.
“So far, we have been getting a good
response,” he notes. “We are moving in
that direction; we are just not there yet.”
The company is also evaluating new
opportunities for expansion in countries
such as Indonesia, Thailand and Myanmar.Half page advert
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recognitionINVEST | Interview