Gama Group is to open its newest operational base in Geneva for business in July. The location will offer aircraft management services to existing and potential Gama customers and will also be aiming for a full Swiss AOC by the end of the year.

The office will be located within Geneva airport's executive terminal and will be led by general manager Captain Hamish Ross.

Ross brings with him a wealth of industry knowledge, says Gama. He has spent over 30 years as an instructor of professional pilot licences, corporate pilot and manager of aviation companies. Most recently he was based in Sharjah as Gama Aviation FZE's director of flight operations. During the past two years he has been instrumental in developing the flight operations side of Gama's United Arab Emirates' AOC.

"I am delighted to be able to lead Gama's Swiss-based operation," says Ross. "Our new facilities in Geneva complement the recent significant growth in Gama's global offering, now numbering over 30 operational bases around the world. Geneva is located at the centre of modern Europe, and Switzerland offers political and financial stability for the long-term. Together, these factors create a beneficial business environment very attractive to Gama Aviation's clients, present and future. We want to ensure that those clients are able to choose a locally-based company that offers the highest standards of safety and efficiency for their aircraft management or charter needs."

Meanwhile, Gama subsidiary Fairoaks-based Gama Engineering has introduced what it says is the world's first child's seat certificated for take-offs and landings on most business jet configurations. It displayed the seat aboard a Challenger 300 at the EBACE show.

The seat is already in service with long haul airlines Virgin Atlantic and Cathay Pacific, has been designed to fit seamlessly with the latest aircraft seat design trends and can be tailored to individual aircraft owners and operators bespoke interior schemes. It is now available for a wide range of aircraft manufactured by Bombardier, Dassault and Gulfstream.