Turkey's Turkmen Air has introduced four more aircraft to its AOC: a Falcon 2000, two Challenger 604s and a Global Express. The company was acquired by Bilen Air Services in December 2015 and previously managed a Learjet 60XR. The latest jets have arrived after the closure of several management companies in the region. Director Ayca Kocabas is looking forward to operating the new Dassault and Bombardier types. “They have a great reputation and are easy to charter, crew and maintain,” she says. “Having these types in our fleet will make things easier for both management and owners. We are looking forward to having more aircraft owners of those types in the region under our AOC.”

Two of these recent additions are currently undergoing heavy maintenance, which is due to be completed by mid March. The rest of the fleet is already engaged with charter and owner flying to Europe and the Middle East.

“It is definitely a new challenge for us but we are able to draw on our 25 years of experience in business aviation in Turkey,” Kocabas continues. “We offer aircraft owners management with operational in- house support, and clients can benefit from the worldwide support network of Bilen as part of this. We have competitive rates and a lot of know-how.”

Bilen Air Services also has a strategic partnership with ExecuJet for FBO services at Ataturk and Sabiha Gokcen airports in Istanbul, a partnership that is being extended into its fifth year for 2017.

Kocabas has always viewed Turkey as a gateway between the Middle East and Europe. “Our region and our country has often been under pressure politically and economically, but now we have the knowledge to handle that pressure. We believe that challenges will always be there, but if you know how to survive and handle them, there are also benefits.

“Istanbul is going to have the biggest airport in the region by 2023 when construction of the third airport here is complete. We are trying to get ahead of the curve by expanding internally and looking for further AOC investments.”