Most Bizplane Builders Give Aero India 2015 a Miss

Business aircraft manufacturers are noticeable by their absence from this week’s Aero India show in Bangalore. Dassault is the notable exception since it is exhibiting its Falcon 7X and Falcon 2000LXS models, but Gulfstream and Bombardier gave the biennial show a complete miss this year. Textron showed only a special-missions version of its King Air 350 twin turboprop and Embraer displayed an ERJ-145 equipped for military surveillance roles. Russia’s Sukhoi was present, and it showed a VIP-configured example of its Superjet 100 twinjet.

India has long been seen as one of business aviation’s great new market opportunities. Although the companies absent from the 2015 Aero India did not explain their decision not to exhibit, some industry leaders have privately expressed frustration at what they see as the Indian government’s procrastination with addressing obstacles to growth, such as burdensome or non-existent regulations, lack of infrastructure and high taxes. However, at the BizAvIndia conference held in Bangalore on the eve of the show, Indian civil aviation ministry joint secretary G. Asok Kumar told the country’s Business Aviation Operators Association that in March the country’s new government intends to publish new policy in response to industry demands.