It has been barely a month since the birth of a new technical support company in Basel, Switzerland. Targeting business jet customers from around the globe, but primarily Europe and the Middle East, Aircraft Consulting Group Ltd (ACG Ltd) has been established to provide "independent, personal technical support and advice to individual aircraft owners and operators".

EBAN's Richard Evans caught up with md Robert Eikel at the company's HQ to find out exactly what ACG has to offer to its potential new customers.

Eikel explained: "Before launching this service, we looked at the market growth and found that there was no independent source of looking after someone's aircraft. That gave us the idea to establish a new company in the field of personalised technical management of business jets.

"Since, of course, the highest operating costs of an aircraft involve its maintenance, we believe our independent advice will be invaluable to customers."

Currently, ACG is working on a Galaxy. Eikel said: "I am carrying out the completion visits at Galaxy in the US, I will then accept the aircraft in about two months and we'll have it here in Switzerland, Swiss-registered until final delivery."

So at which point of the purchasing game does ACG come in? "We prefer to come in at the very beginning," said Eikel. "We look at the aircraft specifications, we look at whether the aircraft will be privately or commercially registered, whether it will need additional avionics depending on its intended missions, and we also look at convenience items in the cabin.

"Out of experience, we know exactly what suggestions to make to the customer."

While Eikel says his experience lays in the field of operations, having accepted numerous aircraft from Citations to Falcons in the past, it is his partner and fellow md Adolf Welti, a 25-year veteran of Jet Aviation Basel, who looks after the maintenance side of the venture.

"Together," he said, "we think we are a very effective and experienced team covering all major areas in corporate aviation."

After examining the aircraft's specifications, ACG is then responsible for the green acceptance of the aircraft, travelling to whichever destination that necessitates. Said Eikel: "If there's something wrong, it is very important to be in a position where we can act very quickly. After delivery, there is normally no time left if there should there be a bigger problem.

Once the aircraft, new or pre-owned, has been accepted on behalf of the customer and registered, it is ferry-flown to its final location, where it will be based.

Once purchased, an owner is often partial to his aircraft being used for charter purposes. Eikel said: "If this were the case, we would put the customer in touch with different parties, receive all offers, make an evaluation and pick out the best possible solution for the owner."

And with regard to possible competitors, Eikel believes that within this particular field, they are few and far between. He said: "There are lots of operators with an AOC but independent technical support is not that well known so far."