John Saabas is the president of Pratt & Whitney Canada, the world’s leading aircraft engine manufacturer. More than 55,000 aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney engines are flying around the world, and the company supports more than 12,000 customers worldwide. The Kathmandu Post caught up with Saabas who was in Kathmandu on a two-day visit on Friday. Excerpts:

As the world’s leading aircraft engine manufacturer, how is Pratt & Whitney incorporating the changing dynamics of the aviation industry where fuel efficiency and green technology are becoming major issues?

I think fuel efficiency is the choice of turboprop automatically. We continue to invest in turboprop so that next generation of engines, especially ATRs, are more fuel efficient than the previous generation of engines. We also certified PW127 that run on bio fuel to reduce greenhouse impacts. So we invest in new technology and the new engines have the latest technology. We work with airlines to improve the operation and make the fuel system more efficient.

How do you see the aviation industry in the days to come?

I see airline travel increasing as the world’s middle class gets more affluent. Let’s talk about India that is near to Nepal. It’s got 60 million middle class people. Only last year, it had 75-80 million flights. There are 40 million people travelling. But even if we take the number of frequent flyers, there are 10 million flying. If the middle class grows more, it is going to fly more and more. So, turboprop makes lot of sense in this region. Turboprop has a big future in all the regional airports of Nepal, India and China.

Which are the major markets you are looking at?

We are in 200 countries around the world. Our major market for growth in the short term is India, China, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. They can be a big market in the short term as the middle class in these countries are getting more affluent, and the government is opening up airports in these regions.

Pratt & Whitney’s partnership with Buddha Air is almost two decades old.  During your visit, you also visited their hangar. How do you review your engagement with Buddha Air and how will it move forward?

I think Buddha is rightly focused on safety first. When you think about airlines or aerospace, one should focus on safety first and that’s clear. Buddha Air has the courage to invest ahead in equipment, training, manufacturing and people. We work very closely with them in their maintenance programme. We continued to do what they have started and support them. They have the right management philosophy here to want to work and collaborate with us.

You went on a mountain viewing flight. It must have been an experience.

It’s unforgettable. You go up and there is majesty of the mountains. These mountains are very peaky, very sharp and well defined. As you go up, the views get more magnificent. You just think about the people that have dared to cli-mb these mountains. For me, it’s a once in a lifetime experience.