Business aviation operators in the future will need to offer a broad range of services in the air and on the ground, and to draw these together under a highly professional corporate image, says Steve Grimes, ceo of Ocean Sky Group.

He has now taken this guiding principle one step further by launching a glossy quarterly magazine for passengers on the company's aircraft and customers in its FBOs.

Grimes says: "Brand has already played an important part in Ocean Sky's rapid growth. As the European business jet market continues to mature, brand will become even more important in unlocking growth opportunities."

The magazine is named simply 'O' and covers lifestyle, luxury and travel topics which complement Ocean Sky's aviation services.

The first issue includes articles by the grande dame of luxury Lucia van der Post, SuperYacht World's editor Hugo Andreae and Wine & Spirit magazine's former editor Richard Woodard. Topics to be explored will include the pleasures of Armagnac; the discerning sailor's new guilty secret, luxury cruiseliners; and a test drive of the latest armoured limousines.

Ocean Sky's Jet Centre FBO network has six bases in the UK and Spain, with further FBOs planned in Italy, other European markets and the Middle East.

Meanwhile the company has made two key sales appointments. Janus Kamradt will now lead sales activities for its newly-established aircraft sales operation and its aircraft management business, while Samantha Clouder has been enrolled as sales and business development director for Ocean Sky Aircraft Charter.

Kamradt joins from Global Jet Concept SA, where he was svp for international sales, responsible for business development across the company's aircraft sales, aircraft management and charter activities. Previously, he worked at private aviation operator Jet Republic as sales director for Scandinavia and the Benelux region.

Said Grimes: "Not only does he have great experience of business aviation, but his senior experience in other luxury sectors gives him a rounded understanding of what high net worth customers require."

Samantha Clouder joins Ocean Sky after nine years at NetJets, where she was vp of UK sales. Prior to joining NetJets, Clouder worked in financial public relations as a member of the flotations, mergers and acquisitions team at leading City consultancy Citigate Dewe Rogerson.

"Ocean Sky is a fresh and exciting business with the potential to become the coolest air charter brand in Europe," she says. "My challenge is to intensify the business development process of an already successful operation, fine-tuning our activities and readying ourselves for the coming market upturn."