Press Release
Issued by ACASS.
December 2, 2010
Mr. Andre Khury's professional experience, in the Middle East and internationally, provides a unique perspective on the provision of operational support services, including crew support, and its importance to the success of individual business aviation missions. In general terms, crew support involves placing pilots, maintenance engineers and other support services for short- to long-term business aviation operations worldwide.
In the last decade, Mr. Khury has worked with hundreds of clients: aircraft owners, operators and flight departments, in more than 50 countries worldwide.
"People in this business do not think about crew or operations support until an aircraft is grounded," says Andre Khury. "For example, imagine a situation where a business jet is immobilized and rendered completely useless for an extended period of time. Why? Because experienced pilots or crew were not immediately available to fly due to proficiency issues, lack of visas or insufficient validations. This scenario illustrates the potential problems and complex challenges faced by operators in regions where business aircraft experience may be limited. And, it underscores the importance of entrusting expert service providers to avoid such complications."
Given his international experience and the fact that his company opened a Dubai office a year ago, Mr. Andre Khury is well-suited to comment on a variety of business aviation issues, including:
• Providing business aviation operational support services to Middle Eastern and international clients.
• The staffing challenges related to the delivery of new aircraft types and the training requirements that this represents.
• The significance of solid international alliances and relationships to the provision of responsive crew support.
• Cultural awareness and sensitivity as key success factors in the provision of operational support services.
• The increasing shortage of pilots and qualified crews worldwide.
• How crew support challenges relate to broader entry-into-service issues.
