Born just 30 days before the dawning of the year 2000, Swiss Global Aviation (SGA) intends to take the business aviation market by storm in the years to come. Made up primarily of experienced business aviation personnel, the Zurich-based company has set itself some ambitious targets. \rOn the day of the company's official opening, December 1, Oliver Lattmann, vice president of marketing and sales, spoke to European Business Air News about the hopes and aspirations of Switzerland's 'new kid on the block'.\rLattmann explained: "We are starting with a new CitationJet and will be building up the fleet with different sizes of new business jets, as soon as possible. This aircraft is owned by a customer of ours, will have been registered by December 10 and is available for air taxi.\r"The next step will be to operate larger aircraft like the Challenger 601 or 604, Falcon 2000 or Galaxy and so on. "We would like to have a Global Express in the next two years and would like to offer the whole spectrum from CitationJet up to Airbus' A319CJ - this aircraft we would make available to our customers with the assistance of another operator. "Our plan is to build up our fleet by the end of next year to four to five aircraft."\rSGA touts itself as a business which is responsible for both aircraft charter and management, and reminds the customer that "every aircraft has to be under a European or Swiss AOC".\rSGA is of the opinion that, within Switzerland, there is both a strong global market for long-range jets and also a local European market for smaller range business jets. In addition, the company has geared itself for a demand for aircraft management. \rLattmann explained: "We have a partner company by the name of Global Jet Trading. This is a trading company for aircraft, with whom we will work very closely in order that the customer has the full circle of benefit in this area of business aviation. If he would like to buy the aircraft, if he would like to have the management of the aircraft or if he would like to rent an aircraft on an hourly basis, he can get everything at SGA."\rSGA's business priorities are simple. Lattmann said: "First of all, we would like to use the aircraft of our owners which we have in management. If the aircraft is not available, we will work together with other charter companies, perhaps PrivatAir in Geneva for example, to find a solution for the customers. The customer should always get the best aircraft available on the market for his needs. \r"Our philosophy is to be a little bit closer to the customer and not too much like a big industrial company. We are able to take care of our customers and be very close to them as our main share holders are heavily involved in the business aviation area." \rWith a chuckle, Lattmann quipped: "Every employee in our company has been involved with business aviation before so the company may be new but the people are old and experienced!"\rSGA has an office in Zurich Kloten, which is "two minutes in the car" from the airport. The company will normally operate worldwide from Zurich although from December 10 to after Easter, it will have its CitationJet stationed in St Moritz because "we like to be closer to our customers". Lattmann said: "We cooperate with hotel groups to promote this kind of flight." \rOn the first day of business, EBAN asked Oliver Lattmann who he believed the company's main competitors would be. Lattmann said: "Well our competitors are also like partners - Jet Aviation, TAG Aviation, JetClub and so on. Primarily we would always want to use our own aircraft but in the second instance, we look at the market with our partner companies or our competitors and see whether we can use their aircraft. Of course, we are also happy if they use ours.\r"We have the Swiss-German minded approach in that we are a little bit more personal. We take care of everything during the flights, in between the flights, in looking for the hotel, for limousine service, for visas and so on. "\rIn terms of marketing, it is no coincidence that SGA has opted to place the word "Swiss" in pole position in its title. Lattmann explained: "For us it was an important point because of the association with quality. We were at Dubai 2000 and we saw that if you go with Swiss, you are seen to give a little bit more. \r"I think we are one of not so many companies which are truly Swiss - for example, Jet Aviation with its headquarters in West Palm Beach; and TAG Aviation has different board members from different companies and is no longer an openly Swiss company. We are purely Swiss, we have our headquarters here in Zurich, all our main employees are Swiss, our main shareholders are Swiss, and so the mentality of Switzerland I think, is at the heart of the company."\rWhen EBAN asked Lattmann how he believed general aviation would progress in Switzerland over the next five years, he replied that success was almost assured as the whole concept is finally being understood by the man in the street. He explained: "The people here now understand what business aviation is all about. In the past, it was thought that business aviation was champagne aviation - only luxury and so on. \r"Six or eight weeks ago, we had a very good article in the Neue Zuricher Zeitung which explained that people are using business jets to have more time, to work onboard, to avoid all the waiting time associated with customs controls, with baggage claim etc.\r"The figures of Zurich airport are now speaking a clear language. Business aviation is on the up in Switzerland." So Swiss Global Aviation is up and running and available for business - but not without a last minute rush. Lattmann said: "We have been working very hard over the past few weeks to get everything ready but now we have received our official papers. We are starting with the capital a little bit over one million and we would like to build up our capital by the end of 2000 to two million."\rIn keeping with modern day business practice SGA has already established the now customary website address which, as of December 15, may be visited at www.swissglobalaviation.com.