After returning to the business aviation industry in 2003, OceanAir Taxi Aeréo has expanded rapidly and now aspires to become one of the industry’s most important players in Brazil, with help in part from its partnership with Bombardier. “We spent much of last year getting organized, but we are now looking to this year as a year of consolidating our operations,” company director José Eduardo Brandão told AIN.
The most important achievement last year for OceanAir was gaining more hangar space. Recently, OceanAir signed an agreement with Target Taxi Aéreo to use that company’s hangar space at São Paulo’s downtown Congonhas Airport.
In addition to space at Congonhas, the country’s busiest airport, OceanAir has secured hangar space at Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont Airport and is preparing both facilities for third-party maintenance. The company also plans to open its service center in Sorocaba.
OceanAir has also expanded its charter fleet. The firm currently operates a Learjet 35A and a new Learjet 45XR, as well as a Beech King Air C90. In the coming months, it will receive a new Learjet 40 that it will operate on behalf of its owner.
According to Brandão, business aircraft management contracts are becoming
increasingly popular in Brazil.
He said that the lack of appropriate regulation complicates aircraft management operations in Brazil. The company is working with ABAG and the government’s Departamento de Aviação Civil to draft rules covering aircraft management.
Brandão claimed that OceanAir’s executive charter business has expanded rapidly. “Brazilian executives increasingly need to travel farther and need to arrive at their destinations quickly. As the economy becomes more export-oriented, businesspeople are exploring new markets, many of which have limited commercial flights from Brazil,” he explained.
In addition to representing Bombardier, OceanAir is now close to signing an agreement with Swiss manufacturer Pilatus Aircraft to begin selling the PC-12 turboprop single in Brazil.
In addition to expanding within Brazil, OceanAir Táxi also sees potential to offer business aviation services in other regions of Latin America.
