Recession, what recession? Paras Dhamecha says there’s never been such a good time to have a private jet. Empire Aviation Group is a general business aviation company founded in the UAE in 2007 in response to the opportunity of the Middle East regional market for business aviation services. The company takes an asset management approach to private aviation. According to its website, shareholders include Emirates Investments Group, DIFC Investments and Zabeel Investments. Dhamecha says: “Our model works well in these conditions, when aircraft owners are looking to optimise their investments. It has also been a great time to acquire a business jet, with depressed valuations which are now starting to recover, as finance becomes easier although with more stringent due diligence applied by lenders.”