Ian Sheppard has acted as Editor International Show Editions for AIN since June 2013. Based in the Redhill, England, Ian reports for the various AIN publications as well as providing support to International Editor Charles Alcock in covering international air shows (such as Farnborough, Paris, Singapore and Dubai), and the EBACE and MEBA business aviation events. His central role is to cover Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
Prior to becoming more involved with AIN in mid-2011 (initially as deputy international editor), Ian worked for various aviation publications through his company, First Aerospace Media. This included being part of the AIN team covering daily news at international air shows.
Ian has worked for publications such as Flight International (technical reporter, 1997-8) and Aerospace International (editor, 1999-2000). He was publications manager at Airclaims (Ascend) between 2000 and 2004 before forming First Aerospace Media. Since mid-2009 Ian has also been managing editor of Regional International, the journal of the European Regions Airline Association (ERA).
Ian hasis working towards a European commercial pilot licence, having held an FAA private pilot license in 1991, and instructor rating. He also has a degree in aeronautical engineering from the University of Bath, England, and a graduate diploma in law from Kingston University, and is a graduate of the legal practice course (College of Law, Guildford).

Editor

Ian Sheppard

The Russian market has continued to be a key factor in the recovery that Czech Republic-based ABS Jets has seen in the business aviation sector over the past 12 months. Russians own several of the 13 aircraft that the company has under management contracts, with their insurance companies and banks eager to have these assets in the hands of operators based in the European Union. 
 
	According to the company, it is still not easy to operate in Russia because getting the necessary permission can be difficult. It has found that a lot of time has to be taken to build relationships and trust with clients in Russia by going there and showing real interest in their situation. Negotiations can also be quite challenging with customers who are famously demanding and yet also appreciative when they receive a high standard of service. 
 
	In this respect, Prague-based ABS Jets, which also has a base in the Slovak capital Bratislava, has something of an advantage in that several members of its staff are fluent Russian speakers. The company believes that its central European roots give its team a greater cultural understanding of Russian clients than competitors from further West. 
 
	Having added two aircraft in the past year, the ABS fleet now consists of six Embraer Legacy 600s and a mix including the Phenom 300, a Bombardier Learjet 60XR, a Citation Bravo, a pair of Gulfstreams and a Boeing Business Jet. In fact, the company supports around 50 different aircraft in one way or another, partly under maintenance contracts. Its engineering portfolio includes authorized service center status with Embraer and it has provided support for several Russian clients of the Brazilian manufacturer. 
 
	Since the 2011 Jet Expo show, ABS Jets opened a new 65,000 sq ft hangar at Prague’s Ruzyne Airport as well as modernizing its existing hangar to make room for expansion of maintenance activities. It has also upgraded its facilities in Bratislava to create more capacity for serving clients from Russia, as well as from nearby Ukraine and the wider Commonwealth of Independent States.

Demanding Russian Clients Boost ABS Jets

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