Interview: Anna Serejkina – Russian Business Aviation Moves Ahead
“Despite of all current challenges, the Russian business aviation sector has a firm share in the global market,” Anna Serejkina tells me. She is the Executive Director and Member of the Board of the Russian United Business Aviation Association (RUBAA). I wanted to find out a bit more from her about the current situation. “Airport statistics still show a moderate increase in the numbers of passengers and handled aircraft in Russia. An extensive number of Russian aviation professionals do everything possible to provide the best service, maintain high standards, and implement best practices and standards in aviation, and are open for any form of collaboration. Whether one is dealing with an economic or political situation, and whether or not we call it tensions or even a crisis, it affects everyone’s life and business, regardless of profession or industry. From my point of view, adjusting to this temporary situation, at the same time upgrading services, advancing safety levels, and improving all operation processes is the best way we can go.”
RUBAA continues to receive new membership applications and sees a growing interest in its programs and activities. Since Anna Serejkina joined RUBAA almost six years ago, the association’s local and international presence received a great boost – a testament to Anna’s abilities as a manager and organizer. Business aviation in Russia has a long history and continues to advance fast. Due to the country’s large size and the particular nature of many industries, production sites are often located in remote regions. As a result, a flexible means of transportation is necessity. Russia is area-wise the largest landmass in the world.
“Foreign companies consider the Russian market to be important. A large number of international businesses are represented here, from all major aircraft manufacturers to service providers and suppliers. Similarly to most other industries, business aviation comprises of an entire ecosystem where stakeholders depend on each other; it is very difficult to pin point any single segment,” says Anna, the association executive.
RUBAA was formed in 2009 through merger of the Russian Business Aviation Association (RBAA) and the United Business Aviation Association (UBAA). The purpose of the organization is to coordinate its members’ entrepreneurial activities, to represent and protect their common business interests and to develop the business aviation industry in Russia.
“Our organization aims to create awareness and popularize business aviation in the country. We explain to companies, as well as to individuals that business aviation is not only a means of comfortable and private transportation, but it is also an effective business development instrument. It may serve local enterprises and it can be a center of development itself through modernization of airport infrastructure, business cluster development around the airport, creation of new jobs, and ultimately increasing tax revenues,” Anna explained to me.
RUBAA acts as organizer of several industry meetings – business aviation forums and seminars during the year, which have become traditional events that are recognized globally as Russia’s major communication and networking platform organized for business aviation community from across Russia and beyond. These events gather industry professionals to discuss latest market trends and challenges and to share expertise and best practices. The agenda is dedicated to the industry’s most vital issues including aircraft finance, MRO, fleet management as well as ground infrastructure development and upgrades. Anna continues:
“The most effective way to get our message across is to showcase business aviation through a number of annual regional business aviation forums in various parts of our vast country. During latest years, we went to Ufa in Bashkortostan, Kazan in Tatarstan, and Gelendzhik on the Balck Sea in the South. At all these events the airport was the venue as aviation infrastructure, business jets were demonstrated at static displays, and presentations were held by industry experts. Each event was supported and attended by local authorities which clearly confirms the interest of individual regions in business aviation. The forums were positively received and well covered by the media. Each event gathered at least one hundred attendees. It may be a slow process, but an effective way to promote our industry throughout the country. The participants’ interest proves that we are on the right track!”
In the past, Anna has founded several conferences and forums, among them “Transport Law as Instrument for Realization of Transport Strategy for the Period till 2030”, “Business Aviation Forum”, “Air Law Conference”, “Human Factor in Civil Aviation: Management, Law, Technics”, etc. Anna’s career includes positions at a major airline and an airport operator. She was also employed by legal firms where she concentrated on project development dedicated to transport operation and infrastructure, including private public partnership projects. In 2013 Ms. Serejkina received a Ph.D. with specialization in philosophy of technics. It is always a pleasure to sit down and interview a professional with broad spectrum of experiences like Anna.
The airports of Moscow and St. Petersburg are undoubtedly among the leaders in the world. They offer a broad selection of facilities serving the needs of business aviation; in Moscow there is choice of airports. Russian business aviation has shown a steady growth leading to the development of regional airport infrastructure.
“From what I hear from my foreign colleagues, regional airports outside our capital city and major cities in Russia may have some challenges in terms of business aviation. But such is not typical only for Russia and it is also seen in emerging business aviation markets in a number of other countries,” according to Anna. “Our aviation infrastructure is subject of an ongoing development of improvements and expansions involving airports located close to the cities. Besides Moscow and St. Petersburg, many airports have received significant investments to create new facilities for business aviation. It will drive industry growth, generate new revenues for the sector and thus attract further investment.”
The number and amount of investments depends strongly on current traffic volume and forecasted future needs. Beside the aircraft flight operations, an important area of business aviation activities is service companies providing ground support for the flights, technical maintenance for aircraft and businesses engaged in catering and cleaning services. With the airport infrastructure developments and a growing demand for business aviation, new opportunities will arise in all segments of the industry in Russia.
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