With eyes on tourists, Amber Aviation takes flight
Published:Monday | October 11, 2021 | 12:08 AMKimone Francis/Senior Staff Reporter
A US$6-million investment over five years into ultralight aviation is expected to attract thousands of tourists to the island, global tech company Amber Group is predicting.
On Friday, the company launched a first-of-its-kind ultralight flying experience in the Caribbean at the Ian Fleming International Airport in St Mary, which is expected to become the home of the recreational activity.
Ultralight aviation is the flying of lightweight one- or two-seat fixed-wing aircraft. These aircraft are designed especially for recreational usage and short-distance flying.
Amber Group CEO Dushyant Savadia said that with a mature tourism market, Jamaica selected itself for the venture, which will be operated under Amber Aviation.
Savadia said the goal is to add a new adventure tourism offering that is expected to strengthen and diversify the industry, while creating aeronautical skills and employment opportunities locally.
Pointing to South Africa, which attracts more than 200,000 ultralight tourists annually, and the United States, with hundreds of grounds accommodating flights, Savadia said the industry has ballooned globally.
“I think it’s time that Jamaica also gives this edge to tourists to come here, and also to improve our local aviation and local commuting standards,” he said, adding that his company spent two years working with the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority to build out the rule book and get operations going.
Savadia said Amber Aviation has so far acquired five aircraft from Aquila Aviation International, and stressed that they are low maintenance, requiring only an engineer and small crew.
Invitation-only flights are scheduled to begin in the next two months.
Meanwhile, he disclosed that the company will also be offering private jet-share aviation services, a move he said is designed to make private flying affordable to the average Jamaican.
This is expected to be open to businesses and individuals.
“This is an affordable, economic way of flying on your own jet without owning it. Everybody can register for membership and then fly at a very reasonable price across the Caribbean, to the United States or wherever,” the CEO said.
One jet has already been brought into the island.
Amber Group is also looking to boost domestic flying across the country. According to Savadia, globally, there has been a boom in the market, with companies making flying very economic. As a result, the company is looking to tap that interest.
“The more people move, the more the economy flows, because then more food is sold, more drinks are sold, the more transportation is used. That is my ambition for Jamaica: To create this low-cost, economic travel within the country without breaking the bank,” said Savadia.
Transport Minister Robert Montague, who noted that Jamaica has downsized from 52 landing strips to seven, said ultralight flying forms part of the ministry’s wider push to bring back general aviation “bigger and better”.
“This fits with the ministry’s objective of expanding general aviation and not making it an exclusive, high-class industry,” said Montague in welcoming Amber Aviation.