Niki Rokni and Guy Burden: new private jet consultancy

Private jet consultancy focuses on main business but can't get away from charter broking

Axon Aviation Group, a manage-ment consultancy specialising in the business aviation sector, has incorporated a charter broker 'sideline' in response to client demand. "Charter is not our main business," says partner Guy Burden, "but because of the many people we know, we are being asked to do some charter and we are happy to arrange that for close contacts."

He is working with a team also headed by co-principal and shareholder Niki Rokni, who along with former ceo Kurosh Tehranchian have left Ocean Sky. Burden confirms: "Certainly our first two contracts were given to us by Ocean Sky. As for Kurosh, he is a serial entrepreneur and has been involved in pharmaceuticals, IT and business aviation - heaven knows what he will do next!"

Axon was set up to provide independent critical analysis of products and services to principals, operators and suppliers in the private jet sector.

The launch of Axon formalises business referrals between Burden and Rokni. Burden says: "I was asking her to help with lease, management and finance deals and she was contacting me about aircraft sales and acquisitions. There were so many opportunities coming up in the current market that it made sense to work more formally together."

He adds: "Our greatest strength is with principals - they probably make up 80 per cent of our Blackberry address books. That said, we are also highly networked with operators and financial institutions, as you would expect when we have been in the industry for a combined period of almost 40 years."

Notionally based in London, Axon is servicing demand in Europe, the Middle East and Russia and works with consultants. "Axon is really the portal through which clients can reach the best professionals for the job, just like a management consultancy in any sector," Burden explains.