[D33-PAC]

I somehow managed to come across a video of Reliance Industries' Boeing on YouTube. One thing led to another.

These are the main workhorses of the Reliance Empire (Mukesh Ambani's, the Petrochemical division ONLY).

Now here's the kicker; these are only for intercontinental travel. There are at least half a dozen more in the fleet that flies across India, shuffling senior management .

But when you're sending your CEO out to Venezuela or Mexico, or when you're sending your CFO out to New York to raise a few billion dollars, or when you're bringing your kid back from Yale/Stanford - this is how you do it.

Forget Indians, forget India, I don't think there's a private fleet like this in the WORLD ! Maybe Exxon Mobil, Shell, Microsoft or Berkshire Hathaway have something to compare but afaik this is grandeur on another level.

For all you plane experts out there, why do you think they skipped the Gulfstreams ?


A personal remark of mine: This makes the car collection of the Sultan of Brunei seemingly cute in comparison.


VT - HMA ( VT - Hirachand Mukesh Ambani)
VT - DHA ( VT - Dhirubhai Hirachand Ambani)

Wonder what the rest mean! I did a quick calculation from prices available online and the grand sum of the just the planes in pics comes to ~1100 crores. And add a yearly expense of maybe 20 crores every year for parking fees incurred annually in Mumbai.

Note to Mods: I didn't see the need to conceal these or the names of the owners as they are such notable and highly public personalities.

[Stratos]

Originally Posted by D33-PAC

For all you plane experts out there, why do you think they skipped the Gulfstreams ?

Not an expert, but I would say it is probably a matter of personal choice and also depends on what financial deals they got from Dassault, Airbus, Bombardier, etc

It also depends on a company's travel needs. Gulfstreams are known for their long range and tall service ceiling which might not be some of the requirements of the Reliance Group.

I would rather enjoy the extra interior space of the Airbus A319CJ than the range / cruising altitude of a Gulfstream, if I could afford it. But hey, thats just me!

[D33-PAC]

Originally Posted by Stratos

Not an expert, but I would say it is probably a matter of personal choice and also depends on what financial deals they got from Dassault, Airbus, Bombardier, etc

There certainly is some logic to it ! Very few of the elites in India prefer the Gulfstream. I can't think of any owners besides Poonawalla Group, Punj Lloyd, Avantha, DLF, and Essar Group. The Dassaults and Bombardiers seem to be a great favorite in India. All of this seems to be a huge contrast to USA, where anybody that's a somebody has a standard issue G450 or a G500/550/650 !

[bhandary]

First reason could be, the proximity of the manufacturer to ones country and service support. Another reason could be (just my guess), to avoid manufacturers who are very close to the superpower country and avoid possible snooping / espionage activities since the people who can afford aircrafts are High Net Worth Individuals (HNW) and can influence regional / world politics.

[AbelAFC]

Awesome thread! I've been smitten by the Reliance fleet ever since I saw them lined up at CSIA last October. Apart from the ACJ, I can't really identify the other jets. Any help please? :P
I know they have some Dassault or the other, I can't recollect which model though. Also, I absolutely hate the livery on the RIL fleet, think they could have done so much better.

[batterylow]

Originally Posted by AbelAFC

Apart from the ACJ, I can't really identify the other jets. Any help please? :P
I know they have some Dassault or the other, I can't recollect which model though.

You can always google the tail codes to find the model and more info.

For example, "VT DHA" returns the following.

Bombardier BD-700-1A10 Global Express

Source

[Dieselritzer]

When i was studying BMS i did a small project on Reliance Aviation. A relative of mine was the flight planner for Mukesh Ambani. Majority of the aircraft's were registered in his daughters name, Isha Ambani. They have the largest corporate aircraft fleet. From what i remember, i was told that they have a great safety record and high standards for safety. The flights are used by Reliance Industries directors to travel mostly from Gujarat to other locations. They have a small hanger at Mumbai Airport.

[AJ-got-BHP]

Our family had been associated (business wise) with RIL ever since the inception of it's fabric division and the relationship carried for a period of 37 years before the division became close to sick after the demise of Dhirubhai Ambani. I remember, in those days their Senior Management used to travel Morning-Evening in the Private Jets of RIL from Mumbai to Ahmedabad on a daily basis. Now, may be with the concept of Low Cost Carriers coming into the picture, they have ruled out the usage of their Private Jets at the Local level.

Originally Posted by Dieselritzer

They have the largest corporate aircraft fleet. From what i remember, i was told that they have a great safety record and high standards for safety. The flights are used by Reliance Industries directors to travel mostly from Gujarat to other locations.

It was sometime in 2014, there was a news which stated that a business jet owned by Reliance Industries (RIL) was grounded by The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) while on a surprise inspection, for carrying expired safety equipment on-board and they also suspended its pilot for flying without a licence

[Sinner666]

Originally Posted by Dieselritzer

When i was studying BMS i did a small project on Reliance Aviation. A relative of mine was the flight planner for Mukesh Ambani. Majority of the aircraft's were registered in his daughters name, Isha Ambani.

That explains the registration VT-ISH.

[srishiva]

Remember Carly Fiorina when she was our CEO coming in company plane to old HAL airport and visiting the campus next door!
I believe lots of U.S based companies (mostly the old ones still doing well) have jets and helicopters to ferry people efficiently for not so long distances.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by srishiva

Remember Carly Fiorina when she was our CEO coming in company plane to old HAL airport and visiting the campus next door!
I believe lots of U.S based companies (mostly the old ones still doing well) have jets and helicopters to ferry people efficiently for not so long distances.

It's a matter of time. When your CEO is paid crores of rupees / millions of dollars, you can't have them wasting time in ques & check-in formalities at airports. Neither can you bring inefficiencies in their schedule just because they have to adjust to regular flight times. Every hour counts.

Then of course, it's also about the perks .

[Jeroen]

Its also a matter of security. Some companies boards won't allow the CEO to fly commercial due to security and safety concerns

[D33-PAC]

What surprises me is not only how the company logos are proudly displayed - the chairman of the board has family initials on the plane number/identifier.

I would imagine a global elite would prefer to move in silence, like a ninja at night.

I'm sure someone can just track where these planes are headed and make an analysis of what that means in terms of company operation/Merger & Acquisition/Prospective developments and have some kind of insight on the direction of the stock price.

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by D33-PAC

I'm sure someone can just track where these planes are headed and make an analysis of what that means in terms of company operation/Merger & Acquisition/Prospective developments and have some kind of insight on the direction of the stock price.

Tracking planes is very easy these days. Just download the app.

https://www.flightradar24.com/60,15/6

Correlating the CEOs movement to stock price would be a bit more tricky I would think. Haven't seen an app for that yet.

Jeroen

[Raulspace999]

My two cents.

Discussing the fleet of one of our top MNCs on a public forum might make them susceptible for sabotage or even discussing their location at csia might raise security concerns about the itineraries of these planes.

Although i agree that the details are easily available and spread all over the net, i think its not proper to further extend the reach of such classified information.

Tomorrow a thread might discuss the fleet of our defence system.