Personalised Luxuries on Board Business Aircraft

Business aviation in India is still the exclusive domain of the uber-rich and corporate India, yet the luxury provided on board has developed and surpasses industry standards.

- RASHEED KAPPAN reports.

Exclusive business aircraft flights might still be the preserve of India's uber-rich, but the luxury on offer aboard has acquired an industry-beating dynamism all its own. From interiors tailored to suit customised experiences, gourmet dining with personalised menus and a no-nonsense adherence to safety, reliability and comfort, business aircraft travel is like never before. The template is set, but will it surmount the challenge of scale?

The domestic clientele is niche, far removed from the mature business aviation models perfected in the United States and European markets. The base of high net-worth individuals (HNI) is yet to attain a critical mass to expand the domestic market beyond 0.1 per cent of the population, as an aviation analyst put it. But the dynamism within this exclusive bubble is unmistakably evident.

'FEEL LIKE ROYALTY'

The biggies in the field, private jet charter firms such as GMR Aviation, Club One Air and Blueheights Aviation, have all invested deeply in personalised luxury. Club One Air, for instance, offers personal attendants and chefs ready to dish out the client's favourite delicacies in the air. "Our aircraft are designed to make you feel like royalty. We offer the best of food (healthy and vegan options are available too), sanitation and rejuvenation options in the sky!" goes one promotion, beckoning society's creamy layer and corporate biggies.