28 East Group celebrates second successful year.

Thursday 22nd November 2012

Independently owned, Swiss aviation holding company 28 East Group, led by partners Luca Madone, Jeffrey Emmenis, and Erica Da Veiga, is celebrating its second anniversary this month.

Based in Zug, Switzerland, the expanding business has achieved a number of major milestones through its second year of operations which has served to make it one of Switzerland's most diverse aviation companies.

January 2012 saw 28 East Group successfully purchase air charter company Vertis Aviation outright from Swiss private jet company, Glaronia Aviation. In the first quarter of the year Vertis Aviation increased the number of business jets it markets exclusively with the addition of a Bombardier Global XRS; this was followed in the second quarter by a Bombardier Global Express in June.

Vertis Aviation now offers four aircraft for charter, a Dassault Falcon 7X, an Airbus Corporate Jet (ACJ) and the Global Express and Global XRS. It focuses specifically on selecting jets for charter that can provide ultra-long range services.

Notably the Global Express operated by German-based K5 was given ETOPS 180 status (Extended-range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards) on 19 November 2012. This confirmed that each of the aircraft Vertis markets can now offer extended distance performance so enabling it to offer a broader range of global destinations to its clients.

Vertis also has plans to add a further three aircraft to its portfolio in 2013.

• Sky Dragon Pacific completions App joins portfolio:

Adding to its diverse portfolio, the 28 East Group is now marketing a new product, Sky Dragon. The Hong Kong-based joint venture between 28 East Group and corporate financier, Matthias Karl, is an iPad 'app' which serves as a project management tool which enables completion managers to share project progress directly with their clients.

Through an innovative use of app technology those working on the completion project can upload progress reports such as documents, photographs and videos enabling the aircraft owner to keep up to date, anywhere in the world during an aircraft green completion or refurbishment project.

A number of major international aviation companies are currently in discussions with 28 East Group with a view to trialling the product and 28 East Group is looking at other sectors that could also maximise the technology such as the architectural and yachting markets. Sky Dragon is available directly from the Apple store (Sky Dragon Aero) or it can be pre-loaded onto an iPad by completion managers.

This Autumn, 28 East Services, which is the consultancy arm of the group, completed a complex pre-buy inspection for a European Learjet 60 that was sold and delivered into Southeast Asia. The division offers specialist advice and support services relating to aircraft acquisitions, sales, aircraft management, financial auditing and asset management for a range of aircraft. It also provides special project management services for complex or unusual refurbishments.

"We are more than satisfied with the way the 28 East Group strategy has developed over the last year," commented Luca Madone. "We have reached our goals and aims for this year and have consolidated our foundations for further growth. Year three is already set to have an inspired selection of new business join the portfolio," he added.

• Looking forward....

Early December will see Vertis Aviation open a new Kensington, London office offering charter brokerage services to its growing client base. Julian Burrell will start working with Vertis Aviation as Managing Director on 1 January 2013.

Vertis Aviation UK Limited will be completely autonomous and run as a separate entity from the Zug-headquartered Vertis charter business and has been designed to support its UK client base.

28 East Group will also be adding to its portfolio of aviation services in the next few months with the anticipated acquisition of a fuel brokerage business currently in process and a number of other aviation projects undergoing review.

www.28eastgroup.com