Jetrader - Autumn 2016 - 14

Jetaire was started in Miami, and we
maintain an office there that provides an
excellent platform for supporting customers
in the Caribbean and Latin America. Miami
and South Florida have an incredible number
of airlines and aviation-related companies
allowing an international client base, which
helped to grow the company. In 1997, we
relocated to Atlanta to allow easier access
to the FAA regional certification office,
which further helped broaden our business.

JT: How does Jetaire select what companies to work with?
MW: Our ideal customer is one we have
a close enough relationship that we are an
extension of their company rather than an
outsider. We look for clients that are looking for better solutions than what the OEMs
provide, and are comfortable with "out of
the box thinking."
We typically look for programs that have
regulatory mandates attached to them. We
select those because we know there is a
market normally with limited competition.
The airlines have a mandate to satisfy, and
we just have to figure out a way to build a
better mousetrap than the OEM and then
get out and sell it.
We monitor the FAA and review notices of
proposed rulemaking (NPRMs) to determine
which will require new systems, or system
modifications for which we can develop
impactful solutions.
JT: Your headquarters is in Atlanta, home
to such aviation heavyweights as Delta,
but you also have a total of four offices
worldwide. How does this model impact
Jetaire's business?
MW: We've done business in 53 countries
and have several international offices supporting clients in those regions. A lot of the
clients are commercial, but sometimes we
engage in military or special mission programs. We have people strategically located
so they can reach the client in minimal
time. For example, our offices in Toulouse
or Amman can reach customers anywhere
in Europe or the Middle East quickly, while
from America it could take more than a day.

JT: What challenges does Jetaire see in
the manufacturing industry and how is
the company responding to them?
MW: The biggest challenge is to locate
well-trained, skilled workers who are
productive, particularly people who are
"Swiss-army knives." America has not continued to invest in the level of education
it needs to for some technical fields. We
need increased development of machinists,
engineers and technicians, and that lack
of easily available training and education
opportunities will be a huge problem for
our industry going forward.
A look at college campuses across the
country will show a large number of nonAmerican students majoring in technical
programs that statistically Americans shy
away from. This will create a vacuum in
America's technical abilities and a reduction
in our ability to compete as these international students return home to develop
their country's technology initiatives.
JT: How do you think an interest in these
fields could be developed in upcoming
generations?
MW: I think exposure is huge, and science and math should be pressed more
in our schools. We should influence kids
from a young age, because when they're
older they've already developed a mindset
for what they want to do with their lives.
JT: What trends do you see emerging in
the manufacturing sector?
MW: Aviation typically has very few
borders, and I see increased globalization occurring in the aviation industry as
emerging countries develop their technical and manufacturing capabilities and
become more competitive with American
companies. Manufacturing doesn't always
mean huge factories or facilities. I believe
globalization will allow smaller companies

14 The official publication of the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading

to expand into markets they never imagined
entering while increasing their product
base due to rising demand in various sectors. The pace of change has increased
significantly in the last 10 years and will
probably continue to increase.
JT: ISTAT is soon holding its ISTAT Latin
America Forum in November. What
do you expect from the region in the
coming years?
MW: The Latin American market is a
rapidly emerging market. There are many
more large airlines when compared to a
few years ago, some due to mergers and
acquisitions. I think they're taking a lot
of lessons from American and European
companies to develop very strong and
sophisticated airlines.
Current operators are expanding as well
as improving support requirements, not to
mention the large number of U.S. airlines
expanding their routes to take advantage
of this historic growth. I understand that
the first ISTAT Latin America Forum held
in Panama last year was an incredible success and we look forward to participating
in 2016.
JT: How is Jetaire involved with ISTAT?
What benefits does ISTAT offer manufacturers and the aviation industry
at large?
MW: ISTAT is an excellent investment in
time and money as we attempt to better
understand industry trends. The conferences are well-attended and offer incredible venues that provide access to a great
deal of information on trends and future
markets, allowing us visibility for future
opportunities. We're given the opportunity
to meet with multiple customers in one
location while also engaging colleagues
from other facets of our industry with
whom we wouldn't normally interface. It's
a good opportunity for us to connect with
aircraft manufacturers and aircraft traders
who have a need for our products but may
be unfamiliar with our offerings.
Since its inception 30 years ago, ISTAT
stands alone as the premier aviation association, bringing together all facets of the
industry in a worldwide forum. Nothing is
better to inspire ideas to build the future.
For instance, ISTAT's scholarship program
guarantees the future for aviation will be
led by the best of the best.

Jetrader - Autumn 2016

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