meba convention news 12-11-12 issue

Airbus launches Gala cabinby David Donald

Airbus Corporate Jets is launch-ing its new Gala cabin concept for the ACJ330/340 widebodies here at MEBA 2012. The choice of Dubai for the announcement should come as no surprise: the Middle East rep-resents the most important market in the world for widebody business and VIP aircraft.

Airbus Corporate Jets is see-ing renewed interest in the widebody sector and has launched Gala in response. The concept is applicable to A330 and A340 aircraft, which share a common basic structure, with the cabins between doors two and three being essentially identical. In this

www.ainonline.com Vol. 45 No. 33

PUBLICATIONSTuesday 12.11.12

DUBAIMEBAConvention News ®

MEBA conference tackles gray market, bizav’s profile by Peter Shaw-Smith

The evils posed by the gray market, the disconnect between regional oper-ators and regulators as they attempt to curb it, and the problem of per-ception for business aviation in the Middle East, dominated the discus-sion at the second biennial MEBA

Conference (MEBAC), which con-vened at the Dubai Marina on the eve of the show.

The region is still grappling with how to tackle the scourge of the gray market, in which an aircraft operates

Airports Fixed-base operations Business aircraft Fixed Base Operators Engine technology

Cautiously forward for DWCGlobal recession may have slowed construction of Dubai World Central, but the plans for a five-runway airport remain in place, and the facility is growing in capacity and traffic. Page 6

Kingdom’s largest FBOSaudia Private Aviation, the business jet division of the Saudi national airline, is preparing to open a new FBO at Jeddah to meet increasing demand as the nation’s economy booms. 2

HyperMach ups SSBJ specOne of a number of companies working on a supersonic business jet for the future, HyperMach has recently redesigned its SonicStar aircraft, raising the top speed to Mach 4.5. Page 16

Fujairah eyes VIP operatorsAnother of the UAE’s seven emirates joins the race for business aviation’s attention, drawing on its strong links with the oil & gas and shipping sectors. Page 23

Silvercrest testing gathers paceSnecma began testing its new Silvercrest engine in September. Intended for the Cessna Longitude, it might also power the eagerly anticipated Dassault Falcon SMS. Page 36

NEW AIRPORT, NEW VENUE, NEW MEBAAs Dubai grows, business aviation grows. So where better to have the fifth Middle East Business Aviation event than at the new Al Maktoum International Airport? More than 7,000 trade visitors, 385 exhibiting companies and more than 45 aircraft made the journey across the desert to participate.

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MEBA 2012 breaks new ground, sets recordsby Matt Thurber

The Middle East Busi-ness Aviation (MEBA) show’s first appearance at the Dubai, World Central aerotropolis’ Al Maktoum International Airport will doubtless see a record number of attendees, “with over 7,000 trade visitors expected,” show organizer F&E Aerospace told AIN yes-terday. Those visitors will have opportunities to meet with 385 exhibiting companies and view more than 45 aircraft in the static park, including the

largest aerial visitor, a VIP Boeing 767 operated by Com-lux. Major aircraft manufac-turers and service providers can be found in the 24 cha-lets organized in a convenient courtyard shape.

The number of pre-registered visitors had already exceeded 6,000 by the time the MEBA show opened, which is 35 per-cent higher than the pre-regis-tration tally two years ago. And the ranks of journalists doubled to about 250 this year, including

a bevy of television stations cov-ering the VIPs attending.

New features for MEBA include a luxury pavilion, where visitors can peruse and purchase valuables such as watches, cigars, jewelry and sunglasses, and a Dubai Duty Free shop. Visitors to Dubai World Central at Stand 650 can see a detailed layout of the zone. And from the static park, attendees can view the under-construction exhibit center where the next MEBA

show and other aviation exhi-bitions will be held, including the biennial Dubai Air Show.

“For three days you will see business aviation at its best,” said Ali Al Naqbi, founding chairman of the Middle East Business Aviation Association (see also full interview, page 9). “We look forward to welcom-ing a large number of visitors, from high-net-worth individu-als, regional royalty, VIPs and government representatives to corporate decision-makers.” o

4 MEBA Convention News • December 11, 2012 • www.ainonline.com

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is located in the Show Dailies section.

Enter behind Stand 500 (TDH).

Press Room: 971.4.887.9201

MEBAConvention NewsTM

Chalets and Static area

New exhibitioN CeNter risiNg at Dubai worlD CeNtral

Exhibitors and visitors to Dubai Airshow 2013 will be welcomed to an entirely new venue at Dubai World Central (DWC). Visible from the MEBA 2012 static park, the new exhibition center, which

is just starting to pierce the desert skyline, is part of DWC’s dedicated aviation cluster and will feature two large exhibit halls, a grand reception building and a larger static park that will allow more aircraft

to be displayed. A royal pavilion is planned for VIP visitors, who will be able to view the flight display line and static park. MEBA 2014 attendees will enjoy the new exhibition center as well.

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a real Neat tweet

AIN online editor Chad Trautvetter tweets a photo of himself standing in front of the Bombardier Global 5000 as part of the air-craft manufacturer’s “Tweet Spot” campaign here at MEBA 2012. Since social media is very popular in the Middle East, Bombardier is engaging MEBA attendees by using Twitter. The company plans to move its Tweet spots around during the show, but all locations obviously will have Bombardier aircraft in the background. For those Twitter users participating in this campaign, remember to use hashtags #BBAWorld and #MEBA12. And don’t forget to fol-low AIN on Twitter at @AINonline.� n

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DWC still set to become Dubai’s new hub airportby Peter Shaw-Smith

Construction began on the port at Jebel Ali in 1978, but it wasn’t until around 1985 that the man-made facility–gener-ally recognized as the bedrock of Dubai’s modern-day suc-cess–started to fulfill its poten-tial–and the emirate’s knack for turning ideas into world-beating projects shouldn’t be underesti-mated. Although Dubai World Central (DWC) airport has seen the global downturn delay plans to turn it into the city’s main aviation hub, Khalifa Al Zaffin, executive chairman of

government-owned Dubai Avi-ation City Corp., whose main responsibility is construction at Dubai Aviation City, told AIN that long-term plans for the air-port remain in place.

So is Dubai World Central a sleeping giant whose time has yet to come? Progress at the air-port has been slow but steady, with plans including establish-ing several free zones and real estate projects there. In 2011, DWC’s first full year of opera-tion, the airport saw 8,200 air-craft movements, mostly cargo

and training flights, and it launched general-aviation oper-ations that April. It also hosted some 36 airlines, mainly cargo charter. The airport’s terminal capacity is five million passen-gers a year, expandable to seven million, and the cargo terminal has a capacity of 250,000 tons.

When in 2010 Emirates air-line scaled back plans to move to DWC, located adjacent to Dubai’s huge Jebel Ali port and free zone, in favor of locating to two new terminals at the exist-ing Dubai International Air-port (DIA), analysts were quick to write the new project’s obitu-ary. Original DWC plans were shelved as the global downturn made the $20 billion price tag look excessive.

MEBA 2012 is expected to

give the transfer of business avi-ation from DIA a boost. The site also is expected to play a prominent role as host of the 2013 Dubai Airshow, and will be a key plank in the bid to host World Expo 2020. Al Zaffin said he expects to build a second run-way at DWC within five years.

Full Capacity in 2018Given Emirates’ revamped

plans, DIA’s blueprints don’t envisage the airport hitting full capacity until 2018. “Emirates cannot have a partial operation,” said Al Zaffin. “They would have to have a total move. For Emir-ates to move, we would need to have a terminal of 100 million passengers. That would proba-bly take ten-plus years. Besides, the money required would be about $20 billion. So it’s better for them to stay where they are. Even if they want to move, we don’t have the facilities. So they are staying at DIA for now.”

In government circles, how-ever, the DWC setback was seen as an opportunity to develop niche businesses, and the trans-fer of several cargo operations has already begun to take the pressure off a congested DIA. Business aviation is the next target and, by 2015, a sched-uled airline, possibly a low-cost carrier, should add to a grow-ing roster of services. Specula-tion has been rife for more than a year about the identity of an “anchor” airline for DWC (also known as Al Maktoum Interna-tional), with FlyDubai the name usually mentioned.

This is something that Al Zaffin is keen to quash. “At Dubai Airports [Dubai’s air-ports authority], we never go to an airline and tell them [what to do],” he told AIN. “They have to go of their own accord. We never force them.” But he sees chinks of light: “Cargo is ever growing, and has [brought] relief to Dubai International. We’ll see a lot of growth there. MEBA 2012 will take place in the terminal building, which is ready for operation.”

Opportunity for BizavThe scheduled-airline vac-

uum has created an opportunity for business aviation operators hard pressed to obtain adequate slots at DIA and already is put-ting Abu Dhabi’s Al Bateen Executive Airport to good use. Al Zaffin is optimistic that inter-national interest could hold the key to the next phase of

DWC’s development. “We are developing the infrastructure at Dubai Aviation City for execu-tive flights. International players could develop the business and executive side, as well as MRO,” he said. “One area in our pas-senger terminal is [dedicated] to executive flights, ready to go. We have already signed with exec-utive flight operators to build their FBO operations.”

Aircraft manager and char-terer ExecuJet Aviation Group and MRO specialist Jet Avia-tion are spearheading the move, said Al Zaffin, who wants other potential players to cooperate on the FBO. He envisions a single facility run by a consortium, so that early adopters don’t leave the rest behind. “For now, we want to attract everybody. If you nom-inate two operators, they would take advantage and the rest would lose out,” he said. “If all of them are working on it, I think there is a sense of ownership. You want to have more [operators] coming, and more developing.

Avoiding Traffic“If you want to avoid the

hassle, traffic and rush of DIA, Al Maktoum is a very good airport to be in,” he said. The site’s attractiveness could be enhanced by a helicopter service to ferry people to different areas of town. “We are looking at that and it is a possibility,” con-firmed Al Zaffin.

He agrees that road improve-ments are probably necessary, to help executive travelers avoid heavy goods traffic around Jebel Ali Free Zone and Indus-trial Zone. But, he added, many business passengers live, or want to stay in hotels, somewhere in Jumeirah, adjacent to DWC, rather than downtown near DIA.

“I think with Al Maktoum International, [there is] a psy-chological barrier that needs to be solved,” Al Zaffin admitted. But with good prices, a good operating environment and opportunities for business, he is optimistic about the future of business aviation at DWC. With final capacity expected to reach 160 million passengers and 12 million tons of cargo a year, it’s clear that his worries don’t stretch that far out into the future. With Jebel Ali now the jewel in the crown of DP World, the world’s third-largest port terminal operator, it would be a brave punter that bet against a similar success story for DWC a decade or two from now. o


Plans for the Dubai World Central, also known as Al Maktoum International Airport, include establishing several free zones and real estate projects. DWC saw 8,200 aircraft movements–mostly cargo and training flights–in 2011, its first full year of operation.

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Gulf Wings grows fleet, plans move to DWCby Peter Shaw-Smith

UAE-based Gulf Wings, sis-ter company of Jordan’s Arab Wings (Stand 627), plans to add

two aircraft to its fleet by early 2013 and to move its offices to Dubai World Central (DWC)

before the end of next year. “We expect to add a Challenger 604 to our managed fleet next month and possibly a Hawker 850XP in early 2013, which we see as a nat-ural and attractive complement for our fleet of large business jets,” said Khaldoun Ghalayini, general manager of Gulf Wings FZE.

Operating four Bombardier Challengers–three 605s and one

604–Gulf Wings sprang from the success of Arab Wings, founded in 1975 as a subsidiary of Royal

Jordanian and the first private jet charter operator in the Middle East. (Today, Arab Wings oper-ates a fleet of 14 small-, mid-, super-mid and large-cabin air-craft.) During the 2009 Dubai Airshow, Gulf Wings announced that it had gained its AOC, and today it is based at Sharjah Inter-national Airport, with aircraft operating from Dubai Interna-tional Airport (DIA).

Gulf Wings is likely to be at the vanguard of an exodus to the “promised land” that DWC, also known as Al Maktoum Interna-tional Airport, represents in terms of space and lack of congestion. Although Abu Dhabi’s Al Bateen Executive Airport has won admir-ing glances from bizjet opera-tors held back by queues at DIA, DWC appears to be the loca-tion the smart money is swinging behind, despite its distance from downtown Dubai (23 miles).

“Over the next 12 months, we expect to move offices to the Avi-ation City [at DWC], where all indications point to it becom-ing the new hub for business avi-ation in Dubai,” said Ghalayini. “While this shift is generating [worry and argument among] companies operating from DIA, we feel operating from a less con-gested airport, with no arrival or departure time and slot restric-tion, cheaper parking and more options for ground support, will ultimately prove to be in the best interest of operators and owners.”

The Royal Jordanian Air Academy acquired Arab Wings in 2005, and in 2009 Interna-tional Wings Group (IWG) was set up as the academy’s holding company, as well as that of Arab Wings, Gulf Wings and the Queen Noor Civil Aviation Technical College, an ICAO-licensed training center. Today, IWG has 14 aircraft under management and four owned aircraft. Arab Wings’ aircraft are on long-term contracts with mul-tinational corporations operat-ing in the Middle East. Arab Wings also has its own Part M and Part 145 certification and is an authorized service center for Bombardier Challengers.

“I’m happy with where the market is today. It’s cleaned itself of the mom-and-pop opera-tors in region. This will do the industry good,” said Ahmad Abu Ghazaleh, Arab Wings’ Amman-based CEO. o


Gulf Wings’ sister company Arab Wings of Jordan manages a Global 5000 equipped with Bombardier’s Global Vision flight deck.

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MEBAA is key player as bizav grows in regionby Peter Shaw-Smith

Ali Al Naqbi has been at the heart of business aviation devel-opments in the Middle East for more than a decade, playing a central role in the formation of the Middle East Business Avi-ation Association (MEBAA), of which he is founding chair-man. This role followed three years as managing director of Abu Dhabi-based aircraft char-ter and management group Royal Jet. Today he still holds a senior position at Abu Dhabi’s Presidential Flight, from which Royal Jet was formed.

Based here in Dubai, MEBAA was launched in 2006 with 16 founding members, and a mandate to raise the profile of the region with OEMs, gov-ernments and regulators. The association’s founders have had strong ties to the MEBA show since its inception back in 2005.

“I am very satisfied with the association’s progress,” Al Naqbi told AIN ahead of this year’s show. “At MEBAA, we have managed [in only seven years] to put our event on the global calendar. I am optimis-tic this show will become a land-mark. It is growing and has a lot of potential. People are excited to be part of this event.”

The association’s support for MEBA, which is organized by Fairs & Exhibitions, has helped to make the biennial event one of the world’s top bizav shows. MEBAA’s standing in the global business aviation community was significantly enhanced after the group was accepted for membership in the Interna-tional Business Aviation Coun-cil, and Al Naqbi has served on the board of the Montreal-based group since 2007.

However, Al Naqbi main-tains that he’s only just getting started. It’s time, he believes, that Middle East business avia-tion came of age.

Speaking with AIN in his office at Dubai Internet City’s Busi-ness Central Towers, Al Naqbi reeled off a list of areas where he believes new thinking is needed. For example, the Middle East has long had a habit of employing large aircraft, which has stymied the potential of lighter jets.

MEBAA is working to im-prove dialogue with regulators and governments, particular-ly about registration. Infra-structure, including dedicated

airports with trained ground handling staff and equipment, needs to improve to cater to an entire spectrum of aircraft types and sizes, he said.

Shades of GrayMeanwhile, hundreds of air-

craft are operating in the region while they are registered in other jurisdictions, a potential green light for illicit operations, in MEBAA’s view. Indeed, the so-called gray charter market for charter tops Al Naqbi’s reform agenda. His goal is clear: put-ting a total stop to illegal char-ter flights. He admits many will be angry with his campaign, including people in the indus-try making money on the side. But, in his view, progress will be possible only when fly-by-night operators realize illegal earnings might backfire on them, or that invalid insurance might lead to heavy losses in the event of an incident. “I need everybody to cooperate with me,” said Al Naqbi. “We’ll continue fighting until we stop it totally. [Many people] will be very unhappy, [but] guess what? I don’t care. We need to deliver our message and our message is very clear–we need to clean up the Middle East market.”

Al Naqbi understands the regulatory pressures arising from the growth of the region’s three leading commercial airlines–Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Air-ways–and the demands on time and manpower this places on the region’s regulators, includ-ing United Arab Emirate’s Gen-eral Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). He hopes the nec-essary oversight can develop beyond these airlines.

“The fact is we do have very open, strong relations with the GCAA, and all Gulf Coopera-tion Council [GCC] regulators. MEBAA is being listened to, and has become very important in the region,” he asserted. “The authorities now accept [that we represent] the business aviation community and that is [critical] as far as infrastructure and reg-ulation are concerned.”

He noted that there is no offi-cial business aviation unit within the GCAA, although he praises the cooperation that exists with Aws Al Khanjari, its director of aviation safety and security. Al Naqbi is calling for vigilance

from the authorities, including an increase in ramp checks on private jets operating into the GCC area, to prevent gray mar-ket and other infringements. “We fly on demand,” he noted, “[so] we need inspectors to be present at all times to check air-craft documentation.”

Al Naqbi wants the region’s business aviation community to dramatically increase the use of smaller aircraft within the Middle East. He says there are major opportunities to fly busi-ness executives using light jets on intra-Gulf routes. Today, he said, the smallest option is the Hawker 800 or similar midsized aircraft, costing $8,000 for two hours. “Right-sizing” on such routes could reduce costs to as little as $1,400 per journey, he believes.

“It’s not a great idea to have three people flying in a BBJ. A lot of business opportunities are lost because [business travelers here] don’t have the right equip-ment,” he explained to AIN.

The history of Middle East aviation explains the dominance of heavy jets, such as BBJs and ACJs. Al Naqbi attributes the rise of nonscheduled travel to government delegations travel-ing in large, luxury aircraft.

Rising MarketThere is little doubt the current

market is still slower than it was five years ago. “We’ve had some sort of flattening during 2011 and the beginning of 2012,” said Al Naqbi. “It’s up a little bit from a dollar point of view. [The regional industry should] achieve half-a-billion dollars in operator reve-nues this year. I expect this figure to reach $1 billion by 2018-20.”

Business aviation in the

region has faced registration problems that are slowly mov-ing closer to resolution, and aircraft formerly registered out-side are coming back, he said. There are 800 aircraft operating in Saudi Arabia, while only 130 are domestically registered. The remainder operate under vari-ous different certificates in inter-national jurisdictions. “More aircraft are coming to register,

although they are not necessar-ily new,” he explained.

Another area that needs attention is infrastructure, he commented. Al Naqbi identi-fied only four countries where airport facilities are available for executive aviation: Saudi Ara-bia (two), Jordan, Lebanon and Qatar, where the New Doha International Airport, open-ing in 2014, could give bizav new options. Many facilities are located at former military bases, as Abu Dhabi’s Al Bateen Executive Airport. MEBAA is concerned that a selection of facilities for business jets of all types just isn’t available today, and is calling for a concerted effort to increase the variety available and the availability of airports to handle them.

Developing suitable ground facilities also means that growth in MRO provision is crucial. Al Naqbi pointed out that there are at least three or four MROs in every U.S. state, yet there are only two or three dedicated business-jet MROs in the entire Middle East, led by ExecuJet and Jet Aviation in Dubai.

Another bugbear for Al Naqbi is the prevalence of sin-gle-aircraft operators in the Middle East–operators that he claimed are more likely to fall into the gray market. His mes-sage to them is to seek MEBAA’s advice to would-be aircraft own-ers, which is to find an operator that can put the aircraft under management in order to fly it legally and safely.

“Please be careful what you are doing,” is his message to owners. “Put the aircraft with a sound AOC-holder and oper-ator to manage the aircraft for you. This is more cost-effec-tive and safe. Do not cut cor-ners. Trust the big operators. MEBAA can recommend where [to] go. Put the aircraft under management.”

Al Naqbi is determined to rise to the challenges the region’s business aviation industry will face in the next five years and hopes that by around 2017 it will be on a much more sound footing. “There is a lot of demand in the region,” he stressed. “We have to react positively to that. MEBAA is ready to take up the flag and talk to the gov-ernments. It is a hard job. If we could solve just one of the hundred challenges and issues we face, then that is where my satisfaction will come from.” o

www.ainonline.com • December 11, 2012 • MEBA Convention News 9

Ali Al Naqbi, MEBAA chairman

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Developing business links among luxury providers is the main aim of the network, and for Rizon Jet it offers a significant opportunity to expand its client base.

Through the network, Rizon Jet–which provides business jet charter, management and maintenance, and operates FBOs in Doha and London Big-gin Hill–hopes to strengthen its ties with noncompeting key luxury brands and service providers. � n

The Luxury Network Qatar managing director Fares Ghattas (left) welcomes Capt. Hassan Al-Mousawi, Rizon Jet CEO, as a group founding member.

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KingAirs are t-props of choice in MEby Peter Shaw-Smith

Hawker Beechcraft Corp. (HBC) rolled up to MEBA 2012 over the past two days with its full line of civil Beechcraft King Air twin turboprops as it pre-pared for a key court hear-ing–taking place today in the U.S.–probing whether it has to honor warranties on Hawker 4000s and Premier I jets if, as intended, it sells its Hawker jets business to rebrand as Beechcraft Corp.

On December 5 the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York approved in principle the OEM’s reorganization plan, allowing HBC to “begin solic-iting approval of the [plan] from its creditors.” The voting process is due to be completed by January 22, after which the company can seek approval to exit Chapter 11 bankruptcy

protection. The U.S. manufac-turer claims to have the largest number of turboprop airplanes in the Middle East, totaling more than 140 aircraft, and says its King Air family accounts for more than 70 percent of the market in the region.

The Wichita, Kansas-based company is displaying the King Air 350i (said to be the seg-ment’s “greenest aircraft”), the long-distance King Air 250 and the light King Air C90GTx on the static line at Dubai World Central during the MEBA 2012 show.

“As recognition and accep-tance of general aviation grows in the Middle East and North Africa, more operators are discovering that Hawker Beechcraft offers a variety of aircraft suited for multiple mis-sions, including intraregional

business, special mission or lei-sure travel,” said Scott Plumb, HBC vice president of sales, Europe, Middle East and Africa. “MEBA gives us a great venue to present our aircraft

to government representatives, corporate decision-makers, business people and high-net-worth individuals throughout the region,” he added.

HBC manufactures business,

special-mission, light-attack and training aircraft from its head-quarters in Wichita. It also has operations in Little Rock, Arkansas; Chester, UK; and Chihuahua, Mexico. o

Global 5000 goes global for Oryx Jet customers

Based at London-Biggin Hill, Oryx Jet begins opera-tions this month with a new flagship: a Bombardier Global 5000. The company already operates a managed fleet of Hawker, Falcon 50 and Chal-lenger jets, plus a number of helicopters.

The Global 5000 pro-vides true intercontinental range and increased capac-ity to the company’s offerings. An understandably delighted Oryx Jet CEO, Mike Russell, said of the Global 5000 that, “it enforces our business strat-egy to deliver our clients with unparalleled VIP business travel options to all corners of the world.”

Oryx Jet’s Global 5000 operates from the FBO/MRO facility of affiliate Rizon Jet. The aircraft boasts state-of-the-art cabin electronic sys-tems, and can accommodate up to 12 passengers in great comfort. It has two bath-rooms and a semi-separate lounge/bedroom. –D.D.

Biggin Hill declares new voice era

London’s Biggin Hill air-port (Stand 230) is an impor-tant location for business aviation operators going to and coming from the Middle East, who will be glad to know that the airfield has recently upgraded its air traffic con-trol voice communication con-trol system (VCCS) to enhance ATC performance and integra-tion, especially during emer-gency situations.

Designed and produced by Micro Electronic Products in the Netherlands, the TCP990 system is a touchscreen-based system that integrates VHF and UHF channels, person-nel and emergency radios, and a range of preset operational agencies into a single visual display unit. Biggin Hill has four such units installed, two at duty controller stations in the visual control room (tower), one at the ATC assistant’s desk, and another in the ATC engineering department that manages the system.

“VCCS replaces the old push-button and dial-up era of yesteryear, and is already prov-ing to be a huge benefit to our ATC staff,” said Bill Robinson,

Biggin Hill’s senior air traf-fic controller. “All their varied communication requirements are presented for touch selec-tion in a single display at their position. This contributes to

improved efficiency and helps to reduce stress.”

The system is valuable dur-ing emergencies, as it can call up a checklist of all essen-tial contacts in the required order. It also satisfies statu-tory requirements for logging and recording ATC voice com-munications. –D.D.

London-Biggin Hill airport has implemented a new voice communication control system, integrating various channels into a single visual display.

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Oryx Jet’s new Bombardier Global 5000 is based at Rizon Jet’s FBO/MRO facility at London-Biggin Hill Airport.

Up to 12 passengers can enjoy the wide-cabin comfort in Oryx Jet’s new Global 5000, which features two bathrooms and a lounge/bedroom.

King Airs are now Hawker Beechcraft’s bread and butter, and the company brought three to MEBA 2012: a C90GTx, a 250 and a 350i.


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Saudi’s largest FBO set to open at Jeddahby Peter Shaw-Smith

Saudia Private Aviation (SPA), the business jet arm of Saudi Arabian Airlines, is see-ing increased interest from businesses in the Kingdom in acquiring new aircraft as it pre-pares to open the largest FBO in the country, at Jeddah.

“SPA’s operations will grow 100 percent year-on-year this year,” said Wajdi Al Idrissi, SPA CEO, speaking to AIN on Sunday here at the MEBA show. “The company’s clientele includes government and exec-utive delegations. Most of them are businessmen, who can make up to four stops in a single day.

“The government is spending the money and there is no decline

in growth,” he continued. “In Saudi Arabia, private aviation is growing at 15 to 20 percent a year.”

Saudia Private Aviation added a fourth Dassault Falcon 7X to its fleet in March during the first-ever Abu Dhabi Air Expo at Al Bateen Executive Airport, becoming owner of the largest 7X fleet in the world. The company also owns six Hawker 400XPs and manages 28 other aircraft, from Hawkers and Citations to Boeings and Airbuses. The owned fleet is managed under a GACA Part 135 license and the managed fleet under Part 91. “We encourage people to go with [our] fleet management,” he said.

Al Idrissi said Dassault has informed SPA that it is not only

the largest owner, but also the most effective operator of the air-craft, employing the Falcon 7Xs for up to 650 hours a year per air-craft. The Hawkers are used more modestly at around 300 to 400 hours a year, he said, and have seen only single-digit growth in

activity. The 14- to 16-seat Fal-con 7X has a 12-hour range, but under its Part 135 certification, SPA is not allowed to fly the air-craft more than 10 hours on a sin-gle flight.

“The Hawkers, which are more practical and use less fuel, are employed for short-range, two- to three-hour flights within the Middle East, while the Falcon 7Xs are used on international routes,” he said. “Some 65 percent of our operations are domestic, [the vast majority] involving flights on the Jeddah-Riyadh route,” he said. Riyadh-Dammam, Riyadh-Dubai and Jeddah-Dubai are also important city pairs. Costs to hire the aircraft are $8,900 per hour for the 7Xs and $3,700 for the Hawk-ers. “These aircraft are very com-petitively priced, and almost 25 percent cheaper to charter than in Europe.”

Revamp of Saudi Civil Aviation

These are momentous times for Saudi aviation, as an eco-nomic boom drives the King-dom forward. Al Idrissi said that Prince Fahd bin Abdullah, chair-man of Saudi Arabia Airlines and head of the General Authority for Civil Aviation, has made com-mercial aviation a priority since a revamp of the Kingdom’s civil aviation sector after the death of the Minister of Defence, Crown Prince Sultan, last November, but he is also keeping an eye on business aviation. However, “the priority is more commercial than business aviation,” he said.

Saudi Arabia’s aviation indus-try is in the middle of a major privatization program. Saudi Avi-ation Engineering Industries is to be sold to private hands soon. “They are looking for a strate-gic partner,” said Al Idrissi. “The Prince Sultan Aviation Acad-emy [one of the Kingdom’s lead-ing training establishments] will be privatized within one year.” In March, Al Idrissi told AIN he

expected an IPO involving sale of mother company Saudi Arabian Airlines, owned 100 percent by the government, “within three years from now.” Saudi Airlines Cater-ing Co. was privatized in 2007.

Founded in 2009, SPA, a sub-sidiary of Saudi Arabian Airlines, was created on the back of what was previously known as Saudi Arabian Airlines’ “Special Flight Services.” Al Idrissi has served as CEO since inception, having for-merly been vice president of royal and VIP affairs at Saudi Arabian. “We managed three Gulfstream IIs for government agencies,” he said. “We commercialized [the company] under the name Sau-dia Private Aviation in 2009.”

Saudi Arabia’s buoyant econ-omy is undergoing a massive infrastructure overhaul. King Abdullah has used the global economic downturn to carry out a raft of infrastructure projects at bargain-basement prices, said Al Idrissi. Major airports are “building sites” as new terminals are put in place. While commer-cial aviation is the national prior-ity, this also means upgrades for many FBO facilities, including the VIP or FBO facilities already existing in the form of “Royal Gates” or “Royal Terminals.”

“At Jeddah, Arabasco and Jet Aviation already operate FBOs. We will launch the biggest FBO in Saudi Arabia in Jeddah in January 2013. We are the oper-ator and ground-handler,” Al Idrissi said. Upgrades to existing FBOs in Riyadh, Dammam and Medina (Saudi Arabia’s “inter-national gateways”) will be com-pleted in the next three years, he added. At the same time, there is a massive influx of non-Saudi, commercial Gulf operators into Saudi Arabian airports outside the big four international gate-ways, highlighting the antiquated condition of many of the King-dom’s airports. Some 70 percent of Saudi Arabian Airlines’ pas-sengers are domestic, he said. o

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Saudia Private Aviation operates four Dassault Falcon 7Xs and will open the Kingdom’s largest FBO in January.

Diamonds in the desertby David Donald

As part of a drive to expand aviation and its role as a critical component of the economy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a flight academy has been estab-lished at Thumamah airfield, 28 km north of King Khalid air-port at Riyadh. As well as pro-viding high-quality training in Diamond DA40 NG piston sin-gles and DA42 NG piston twins for potential commercial pilots, the Saudi Aviation Flight Acad-emy (SAFA) also runs private pilot certificate courses as part of an effort to encourage recre-ational flying in the Kingdom.

Recently the academy achieved a major milestone when the first Saudi student flew solo, instruc-tion having begun in June.

SAFA is currently operat-ing a fleet of eight of the Dia-mond trainers, but 12 more are due for delivery when the facil-ity at Thumamah is completed. Based in Austria, Diamond Air-craft is exhibiting here at MEBA 2012 at Stand 662. The airplanes are powered by Austro Engine AE300 diesel/Jet A1 engines and offer good performance in the hot ambient temperatures that prevail at Thumamah. The

aircraft are fitted with Garmin glass cockpits, and Diamond has also provided Level 6 simulators.

For the time being, SAFA is operating from temporary accommodations while awaiting the completion of a new cam-pus, which will provide a state-of-the-art training facility. It will feature five classrooms, 16 bays for flight training devices, brief-ing/debriefing tools and a com-munications lab. Expected to be finished during the summer, the campus will also include student accommodation with associated catering and leisure facilities.

SAFA is also establishing its own maintenance facility, and hopes to provide after-sales sup-port for other Diamond aircraft operating in Saudi Arabia. o

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Saudi citizens are encouraged to earn private pilots licenses in these Saudi Aviation Flight Academy Diamond trainers.


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HyperMach reconfigures SSBJby Chad Trautvetter

One day a supersonic busi-ness jet (SSBJ) could be a real-ity and there is a good chance that the first customer to receive one will be from the Middle East, even though that day is at least

a decade away. Leading the way is U.S. company HyperMach Aerospace, which announced a new configuration for its twin-engine SonicStar supersonic busi-ness jet (SSBJ) late last month.

The redesign will boost the air-craft’s top speed by more than 10 percent to Mach 4.5 while also increasing range to more than 6,500 nm. At its planned high-Mach cruise speed of Mach 4.4

at FL620, the SonicStar would be able to fly from New York to Dubai in a mere two hours and eight minutes.

The updated version–which includes a new wing, redesigned V-tail and a pair of more pow-erful engines–is “slightly larger” than when the SonicStar was first announced at the Paris Air Show last year. It can now seat as many as 32 passengers, up from the original 20, while the larger fuselage and swooped delta wings allow more fuel to be carried, stretching the origi-nally specified 6,000-nm range by more than 500 nm.

Work is now under way on the SSBJ’s 65,000-pound-thrust H-Magjet 4400 hybrid tur-bofan ramjet engine, which is being developed by Portland, Maine-based sister company SonicBlue. HyperMach CEO Richard Lugg told AIN that the company was awarded “major patents” this year for its “revolu-tionary propulsion technology,” which includes a superconduct-ing turbopower core ring.

Lugg said that talks with air-craft engine manufacturers to build the H-Magjet 4400s are “progressing well.” HyperMach plans to start engine rig test-ing next year. A full engine run is scheduled for 2018. Accord-ing to Lugg, a full-scale engine mockup will be unveiled next year, most likely here in Dubai (at the 2013 Dubai Airshow). The company also plans to exhibit at one airshow in Europe (EBACE or Paris) and at the National Business Aviation Association Convention in Las Vegas next October.

Lugg told AIN he is making “good progress” on this program funding already, with steady interest from private investors around the world. The company has also received “big financial commitments” from four coun-tries, including the UAE, Singa-pore and two in Europe.

Due to the redesign, esti-mated first flight has slipped to 2022, but certification and entry into service is still expected in 2025, according to Lugg. HyperMach expects to start taking orders for the $180 mil-lion SonicStar early next year. o

HyperMach has reconfigured the design of its supersonic business jet, SonicStar, with a larger fuselage, new wing and redesigned tail and more powerful engines.

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Falcon 2000LXS delivers more airport optionsby Mark Huber

Dassault has introduced yet another new version of its pop-ular Falcon 2000 super-midsize twinjet. The 2000LXS combines the range and amenities of the Fal-con 2000LX with the short-field capabilities of the Falcon 2000S.

The new aircraft, announced in late October, is expected to cost $500,000 more than the 2000LX (that is, approximately

$32.8 million) and complete cer-tification in 2014 when it will replace the LX. According to the French manufacturer, the first year of production is already sold out for the new model.

As on the 2000S, the LXS features forward-edge wing slats to reduce Vref speeds and take-off and landing distances. Pre-liminary estimates indicate the new Falcon will require a take-off balanced field length of 4,675 feet at maximum takeoff weight (mtow), a landing dis-tance of 2,300 feet and a Vref of 107 knots. This represents a substantial difference from the performance of the existing LX (5,750 feet, 2,730 feet and 116

knots, respectively). However, unlike the 2000S,

the LXS does so without com-promising range or payload. Dassault engineers found ways to remove 300 pounds from the wing structure, even with the addition of winglets, and 100 pounds from the cabin interior. Consequently, they estimate with full fuel the LXS will still have a six-passenger range of 4,000 nm, an mtow of 42,800 pounds and a maximum payload of 2,190 pounds. Possible city pairs include Dubai-to-Beijing and Dubai-to-London.

The LXS is powered by a pair of 7,000-pound-thrust Pratt & Whitney Canada PW308C engines fitted with Talon II combusters that cut nitrous oxide emissions by 20 percent without any power penalty. The

engines will generate 40 per-cent less emissions than ICAO’s CAEP/6 standards, according to Dassault.

The 2000LXS’s cabin also includes a variety of improve-ments, notably better sound-proofing that reduces noise by two decibels, as well as the new Rockwell Collins FalconCabin HD+ cabin management system with HD viewing on monitors up to 22 inches and functions

that can be controlled wirelessly from anywhere in the aircraft via Apple iOS devices. A dedicated application allows passengers to control entertainment, window shades, lighting and temperature.

The Aircell Axxess II satellite communications system is stan-dard on the aircraft. The LXS will be delivered with a restyled cock-pit that includes the Honeywell Primus Epic-based EASy II avi-onics system. o


Falcon 2000LXS by the Numbers

Range 4,000 nm

Mtow 42,800 pounds

Balanced field length at mtow, SL, ISA) 4,675 feet

FAR 91 landing distance (at typical weight)

2,260 feet

Max operating altude 47,000 feet

Price (approximately) $32.8 million

The Falcon 2000LXS’s performance bonuses include a range of 4,000 nm carrying six passengers and a 2,190-pound max payload. Possible city pairs to be served by the new twin include Dubai-to-Beijing or Dubai-to-London.

Rockwell Collins’s FalconCabin HD+ cabin management system in the 2000LXS allows passengers to control entertainment, shades, lighting and temperature wirelessly.

Honeywell’s Primus Epic-based EASy II flight deck is featured in the Falcon 2000LXS’s restyled cockpit.

Dassault Falcon Jet gleams For golDen anniversary

Dassault Falcon is time-traveling to the past to celebrate the company’s upcoming 50th anni-versary. The 2013 Dassault Falcon calendar mixes ultra-modern Falcon jets with 1960s’ design motifs in a delightful mix of graphically fun creations by artist Wilfrid Buch, who imagines what a Falcon Jet might have looked like 50 years ago. –M.T.

Dassault’s new, widebody Falcon 2000LXS is designed with forward-edge wing slats that offer a reduction in Vref speed to 107 knots, a 4,675-foot takeoff distance and 2,300 feet for landing. Sticker price is expected to be $32.8 million.

Jet Aviation advances in the Middle Eastby David Donald

With FBOs in Dubai, Jeddah and Riyadh, and additional maintenance and management services at other loca-tions, Jet Aviation (Stand 590) is one of the major business aviation players in the Middle East. The company has recently announced a number of devel-opments for the region, including new capability for its Dubai-based MRO and FBO center.

That capability comes in the form of FAA approval to perform base main-tenance on the Bombardier Challenger 604 and 605, and light scheduled main-tenance (A checks) on the Airbus single-aisle family (A318/319/320/321).

The Dubai MRO facility was estab-lished in May 2005 as a joint venture with the Al Mulla Group. Its 4,200 sq m of hangar space and 1,000 sq m of work-shop allow it to provide a wide range of MRO services, including maintenance and warranty support for the Boeing BBJ, Airbus single-aisle family, Challenger

604/605, Gulfstream GIV/V and Falcon 900/2000/7X. It provides full-service sup-port for the Hawker Beechcraft 800/900 and Embraer Legacy.

Jet Aviation Dubai has recently signed an agreement with the First Emirates Aviation Group (FEAG) of Abu Dhabi to offer full interior refurbishment capa-bilities. FEAG holds local GCAA 145 approval and has access to Part 21 approval for such work. Jet Aviation is also active in Abu Dhabi at the down-town Al Bateen Executive Airport, where

it provides line maintenance services.Another recently introduced capabil-

ity in the region is the establishment of a ground-handling service at Medina’s Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Inter-national Airport, which is Saudi Ara-bia’s fourth busiest airport. There, Jet Aviation can now provide a wealth of ground services, such as passenger han-dling, immigration and customs clearance, transportation, and hotel and catering co-ordination. It also provides aircraft refuel-ing, cleaning and turnaround services.

Jet Aviation’s latest delivery to the region is a Boeing BBJ3 that has been outfitted with Honeywell’s Ovation Select cabin management system and numerous customizations. The redeliv-ery of this aircraft to an undisclosed customer marked the first such instal-lation undertaken under EASA certifi-cation, and involved a long-range test flight. The work was performed by Jet Aviation Basel, with assistance from U.S.-based personnel and Honeywell’s Ovation Select team. o


Singapore Expansion

To answer increasing demand in the Far East and Indian subcontinent, Jet Avi-ation is implementing a major expansion of its Singapore MRO and FBO facility. Lo-cated at Seletar Airport, Jet Aviation Singa-pore is tripling its hangar space to 7,500 sq m, while increasing exterior apron space to 9,300 sq m.

The major expansion will enhance its ability to handle large business jets, and will allow up to five Global Express 7000 or Gulfstream G650s to be accommodat-ed in the hangars. The new hangar is be-ing built alongside the existing one, and has a maximum roof height of 24 meters, tall enough to admit a Boeing BBJ or Air-bus ACJ. The facility also has spray booths and workshops specializing in interior up-holstery and woodwork. –D.D.

Jet Aviation has expanded its MRO and FBO services at its Dubai facility, having recently received FAA approval to perform base and reguarly scheduled maintenance on a variety of business aircraft.

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Gama spreads wings from new Sharjah homeby Ian Sheppard

Gama Group, the fast-growing business aviation services group, is quickly settling into its new base at Sharjah International Airport. The Farnborough, UK-based company is finding that custom-ers now recognize the limitations of Dubai International Airport, which has become increasingly busy with airline traffic, making it hard for business aircraft oper-ators to get convenient slots–espe-cially at short notice. Meanwhile, Gama’s plans to move into Saudi Arabia, with new FBOs planned in Jeddah and Riyadh, are com-ing together fast.

It is now almost five years since Gama Aviation (Stand 110) was set up in the United Arab Emir-ates (UAE), with its main base in Dubai. Dave Edwards, who is managing director of Gama’s Middle East and Asia operations (including its new Hong Kong facility) told AIN that its Shar-jah Executive Aircraft Flight Centre, set up in January 2012 under a five-year exclusive con-tract with the Sharjah Depart-ment of Civil Aviation to handle all business aircraft handling, is ideally placed.

“[Typically] it takes only six minutes from landing to getting out of the aircraft, and then it’s a 20-minute drive to downtown Dubai. This makes Sharjah very attractive,” said Edwards. His team already manages a fleet based in the Middle East that consists of eight aircraft (see list). On the eve of the show Gama was expecting to announce the addition of its first Sharjah-based aircraft.

Despite frustrations with so-called gray charters, mainly

involving overseas AOC hold-ers taking charter bookings that they are not legally entitled to fly, Gama is making progress. “We have seen growth of 20 per-cent, month-on-month, since February,” said Edwards.

But Edwards remains unhappy that so little appears to be done to stop illegal charter flying in the Arabian Gulf–involving, in some cases, he claimed, some “house-hold names” from Europe. “We have a local company and are part-nering here, and we have spent the best part of $2 million to set up the company to be legal,” he said.

Meanwhile, many opera-tors have signed handling agree-ments with Gama. “There is still a requirement for permits to land [in the UAE], so it makes sense for people to have handling agreements with us–we can still get a permit within 30 minutes even in the middle of the night.”

Rich HistorySharjah International is the

oldest airport in the Emirates and can trace its history back to 1932, although the current facility was built in the 1970s. It has a 13,000-ft runway, and has traditionally been popular with cargo operators. In recent years it has also become home to low-cost operators.

In October this year there were 5,125 scheduled and 560 nonscheduled movements at Sharjah International Airport, and just over 640,000 passen-gers passed through it. A partic-ular attraction of Sharjah is its proximity to Dubai compared to the new Al Maktoum Interna-tional Airport, which is at least a 45-minute drive from the city center. Sharjah is also ideal for access to the Northern Emirates. What’s more, there is plenty of space there for business aviation firms to expand.

One of Gama’s strengths is as an engineering company as well, so to add extra appeal to the Sharjah FBO, Edwards said, the facility gained UAE Part 145 approval in June. “We like to have the capability around the world to maintain our own fleet,” he told AIN. “Hopefully by the end of the year we will have EASA 145, too, so we can maintain air-craft that are on the Isle of Man register [for example].”

Meanwhile in Saudi Arabia, Edwards is busy recruiting a team to run Gama’s new FBOs. “The

headquarters will be Jeddah and by the end of next year we will have moved into Riyadh too,” he said. “There are a lot of good peo-ple there, for example, because of NetJets having been there, and they are Saudi nationals, which is how I want that company to work.”

Saudi Arabia still has, by some estimates, more than 50 percent of the region’s business aviation traffic. “Jeddah is the main trad-ing hub. When I first went there I

had never seen so many business aircraft in one place in my life,” said Edwards, who has lived in Dubai since 2008.

Another recent move could draw more operators to Gama, after it announced a major expan-sion at Glasgow Airport in Scot-land. It now has an FBO there, too, situated on the Great Cir-cle route between its facility at the New York City-area Teterboro Airport and the UAE. o


Dave Edwards, Gama Middle East regional managing director, said the company’s engineering heritage led it to seek UAE Part 145 approval.

Gama Group handles all business aircraft at Sharjah International Airport under a five-year contract signed this year with the Sharjah Department of Civil Aviation.

GAMA’s ME Fleet

2 Embraer Legacy 600

1 Embraer Legacy 650

1 Airbus 318CJ

1 Bombardier Global XRS

1 Hawker 800XP

1 Boeing 737-500 VIP

1 Challenger 604

Conflict in Syria hits Turkish air trafficAccording to Avinode (Stand

212), the Sweden-based aviation business intelligence house and charter marketplace, although Turkey has been experiencing major growth in business avi-ation in recent times, with an increase of 4.8 percent from Jan-uary to October, this has now been hit by the effect of the con-flict in neighboring Syria.

The growth trend can still be considered to signal Turkey as a rising star, but it also alludes to poor domestic ground transport

infrastructure such that domes-tic business aviation has become increasingly crucial to filling the gap, and is thus vital to growth in an economically vibrant nation. Internationally, too, Tur-key is experiencing solid growth in business traffic, underlining its geographically advantageous position between Europe, the Middle East and CIS countries.

Avinode Business Intelligence has noted a general drop off in domestic traffic since the outbreak of major hostilities in neighboring

Syria, which began in early Octo-ber. Business traffic has declined 4.1 percent overall and 13.6 per-cent domestically as concerns have increased that Turkey could be drawn into the conflict.

This may just be a “blip” on a generally upward-sloping graph, and it certainly pales by compar-ison to the current problems in Syria. Nevertheless, those involved in Turkey’s business aviation mar-ket are no doubt watching the conflict closely to see what further effects it might have. –D.D.

SHINE ON YOU, SPEEDY PHENOM

Dust and dirt from the long flight to Dubai give way to a glossy shine on this Embraer Phenom 300, as last-minute preparations for today’s MEBA opening took place yesterday in the static park and exhibit hall. Efficient light jets like the Phenom 300 are growing more attractive for short-haul transport within the Middle East region.

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TAG says Farnborough is bizav’s gateway to Londonby Ian Goold

TAG Aviation (Stand 475) is promot-ing its activities in Asia, Europe and the Middle East and reinforcing the claim that its Farnborough Airport facility, southwest of London, is “the leading business aviation gateway” to the city.

“We intend to promote our latest ser-vices and facilities,” said TAG Aviation Farnborough chief executive Brandon O’Reilly, “which include increased air transport movement capacity, hangarage for both transient and based aircraft, a

new crew room with sleeping facilities and a new arrivals lounge.”

Movements at Farnborough this year have been similar to last year’s lev-els, with the exception of a peak dur-ing the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics. During January to June, the airport saw 10,849 business avia-tion movements, compared with 11,324 in the equivalent period of last year. There also were 456 heli-copter movements, compared to 494 in the first half of 2011. “Permitted weekend movements are capped at 6,600 [and annual movements] at 37,000, up from 5,500 and 31,000 last year,” said O’Reilly. TAG Farnborough has approval for a phased increase of movements, rising to 8,900 and 50,000 by 2019. Some 60 aircraft are based at Farnborough. O’Reilly noted that the airport has seen a shift toward larger-cabin models.

Numbers of business aircraft flights in UK airspace had been expected to reach record levels around the time of the Olympics. Under formally coor-dinated arrival and departure slots for all airports in southeast England, TAG Farnborough was allocated up to 20 movements per hour during nor-mal times of operation, according to O’Reilly. During the games, the airport was “busy,” he recalled, “particularly with head-of-state and International Olympic Committee flights. It was a

particularly eventful period with the Farnborough International show ending just 12 days before the Olympic Games opening ceremony.”

Since winning the competition to run the former UK government airfield at Farnborough 15 years ago, TAG Avia-tion has spent more than $160 million on modern facilities and infrastructure.

The company’s FBO operates as TAG Farnborough Airport and includes a main terminal, control tower, on-site radar and two three-bay hangars that offer 240,000 sq ft of mainte-nance, office and storage space. Half of that area comprises the recent addition to the FBO’s main capacity of a 120,000-sq-ft building that became oper-ational last October. The new

hangar was formally unveiled during the Farnborough International show in July. The facility was completed only after TAG directors had cautiously postponed expansion as the economic downturn began in 2008, five years after TAG Avi-ation Farnborough opened for business.

A third hangar of similar volume had been planned to join the first two, but TAG sources recently have become reserved about discussing the plan. While O’Reilly talked freely about a third phase of hangar development 18 months ago, even while the second was being completed, the airport’s viewpoint is now more muted. o


Privately owned TAG Farnborough Airport, includes a main terminal, control tower, on-site radar and two three-bay hangars that offer 240,000 sq ft of maintenance, office and storage space.

Brandon O’Reilly, TAG Aviation Farnborough chief executive

Avtech and GCAS join to offer ATM-related courses

The Gulf Centre for Aviation Stud-ies (GCAS), an arm of ADAC cre-ated in 2009, and Dubai-based Avtech Middle East, a subsidiary of Avtech Sweden, have partnered to offer train-ing in areas such as performance-based operations, collaborative decision mak-ing, airborne CNS/ATM (Communica-tions, Navigation and Surveillance for Air Traffic Management), auditing and human factors. The organizations said in a joint press release, “These courses stand out as they are linked to real-life operational requirements and best prac-tice and are delivered by highly experi-enced subject matter experts.”

These courses are being offered at the GCAS facilities in Abu Dhabi. Dr. Oth-man Al Khoori, general manager GCAS and vice president, HR and adminis-tration, ADAC, said that the focus is to

bring the “very best” aviation courses to the Middle East, and that partnering with strategic partners such as Avtech helped to bring this about.

Lars Lindberg, CEO of Avtech Middle East, said that the focus of the company is to offer “sustainable solutions within performance-based operations.” Avtech Sweden said, “By using Avtech’s products and services, each individual flight as well as the entire airline operation can be opti-mized in terms of cost, noise and emis-sion, efficiency, punctuality and safety.” The company has another subsidiary based in Toulouse, France. –I.S.


Fujairah welcomes VIP bizav operatorsby Peter Shaw-Smith

Fujairah’s business has tradition-ally been in cement and mining, but ship bunkering has developed into a major industry, general shipping is thriving at Fujairah and Khorfakkan ports, and plans are in full swing to build an oil refin-ery, increase tank-farm storage facilities and develop tourism and real estate. This has created an opportunity for the emir-ate to develop business aviation at Fujai-rah International Airport, where Aurora Aviation was appointed earlier this year to run the facility’s FBO.

Nestling on the UAE’s east coast, Fujairah is the world’s biggest bunker-ing station between Rotterdam and Singapore. Abu Dhabi’s International Petroleum Investment Corp. began oper-ations at its 1.5-million-barrels-a-day

Habshan-Fujairah pipeline this summer, to bring around 60 percent of the UAE’s oil output to its eastern seaboard, allow-ing Abu Dhabi’s major export to avoid shipborne transit via strategic choke-point, the Straits of Hormuz.

The UAE’s federal government system means that smaller emirates dwarfed by Dubai and Abu Dhabi must survive on their wits to sink or swim. Charles Hajdu, general manager of Fujairah Interna-tional Airport, says changing culture and attitudes are driving business growth in Fujairah, especially in the downstream oil sector. “Oil and support businesses are growing at a phenomenal rate,” he told AIN. “Fujairah is turning into a much more dynamic and economically diverse area right now.”

Hajdu believes most business aviation travelers are working in oil, bunkering, construction and commodities trading. In September, Abu Dhabi’s Rotana Jet began domestic flights between Fujai-rah and Abu Dhabi, part of its efforts to provide shuttles between six internal UAE destinations.

Hajdu’s priorities are passenger, cargo, business aviation, MRO and recycling and ancillary services, including the air-port’s aviation academy, in that order. “I can’t say that business aviation is the most important from a financial point of view, but from a service point of view, for the UAE in general and Fujairah in par-ticular, I need a company to handle this and do really well.

“We recognize VIP is a specialist area and…have partnered with Aurora Avi-ation, which has taken over the exec-utive aviation terminal to operate it as an FBO,” he continued. “I am delighted [Aurora] is there, as it also has a connec-tion in the oil industry.” In announc-ing the arrangement in May, Aurora said it would be “providing a full range of ground-handling services and will explore the opportunities to enhance jet-fuel supply logistics at the airport. o

Developing oil and tourism industries in Fujairah are creating opportunities for the emirate to establish business aviation at its international airport.

Aurora Aviation Offers

Timesaving Options in Dubai

Aurora Aviation (Stand 640) is here pro-moting its new FBO in the northern emir-ate of Fujairah. Despite being farther from Dubai city than Dubai International Airport, Fujairah airport offers smoother aircraft movements that can make it a timesaving option for business passengers.

“Our FBO in the northern emirate of Fu-jairah is located only 45 minutes from Dubai International Airport and serves as a great al-ternative to nearby airports,” a spokesperson told AIN. Fujairah Airport has “no problem with heavy traffic and congestion,” he said, which guarantees “absolutely no traffic delay” in landing. He also mentioned the abundant parking facilities and the absence of slot con-straints. Taxiing time is minimal and, he said, landing permits are issued quickly.

The FBO offers passenger and aircrew lounges, as well as a conference room with free wireless Internet. It also provides flight planning, weather notification and notams, ca-tering, accommodation in nearby cities and car rentals. For the aircraft, ground power units, cleaning and maintenance are available.

Aurora Aviation, which also is in the busi-ness of commercial aircraft handling, sees Fujairah as the first in a hoped-for network of FBOs in the Middle East and Africa. –T.D.

Visit AERIA Luxury Interiors at Stand #130 during the MEBA event in Dubai, December 11-13, 2012!

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AERIA Luxury Interiors, the completions division of ST Aerospace San Antonio, specializes in VIP completion and refurbishment for Boeing and Airbus airframes. The AERIA team has renowned expertise in completions, engineering, and all related support activities. Our management team collectively has nearly 150 years of experience and has performed successful completions on more than 50 aircraft. For the ultimate expression of airborne style, elegance,and functionality, call on AERIA Luxury Interiors. The Luxury of Experience.

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Amac thinks big on completions and MROby Charles Alcock & Ian Sheppard

The significant investments in expanding the aircraft com-pletions and maintenance capa-bilities of Amac Aerospace must have been made with the Middle East very much in mind. In October, the Switzer-land-based group handed over its first widebody VIP airliner completion when Saudi Ara-bian management company Aviation Link took delivery of a Boeing 777-200LR on behalf of an undisclosed private cus-tomer in the Middle East.

The extensive completion project took 19 months and more than half-a-million man-hours. The 777’s cabin interior weighs almost 64,000 pounds and covers a total surface area of 2,852 sq ft. The cabin is divided into several sections: a private hallway; a master bed-room with en suite bathroom; several private lounges; a maj-lis seating area for the prin-cipal and his entourage; four cabanas (symmetrically divided-L-shaped spaces with lavatories

and adjustable day/night seat-ing configurations); multiple galleys, including an aft galley with induction hobs and dish-washer; and two separate areas for guests and staff.

The contract called for a complex array of high-perfor-mance in-flight entertainment systems, including audio/video on demand, monitors up to 64 inches in size, Blu-ray players, live TV, fiber-optic star light-ing, RGB-colored mood light-ing, external cameras, a cabin humidification system, sat-ellite communications, VoIP mobile phone access and Wi-Fi throughout the cabin.

“The principal [customer] set very high standards for this ele-gant interior,” said Amac group chief operating officer Bernd Schramm. “We are extremely pleased we were able to meet the demanding and challenging requirements specified.”

According to Schramm, Amac has as a strong relation-ship with Boeing, as evidenced

by its recent appointment by the U.S. airframer as a warranty ser-vice center. The company has just started the completion of a new 747-8 widebody. “Amac is proud that, again, we were able to redeliver our first widebody completion project on time and on budget to the highest satisfac-tion of our customer,” he said.

The company is set to deliver its next VIP widebody by the end of the first quarter of 2013. Amac maintains a variety of cor-porate aircraft, including mem-bers of the Airbus Corporate Jet and Boeing Business Jet fami-lies. It holds European Aviation Safety Agency Part 145 approval to do heavy base maintenance on 777s, 747-400s and -8is, as well as the Airbus A330/340 series.

Expansion in TurkeyAmac was founded five years

ago and has 560 employees and an order book worth more than $1 billion. It also wants a slice of the growing Turkish market for business aircraft support, and with this in mind opened its new

hangar at Istanbul’s Atatürk Air-port in September. The company aims to receive its European Aviation Safety Agency Part 145 approval for the new base by year-end.

In addition, its new Turkish operation has been appointed as Pilatus’s Middle Eastern distrib-utor for the PC-12 single turbo-prop business and utility aircraft. According to Atilla Guney, COO of Amac Aerospace Turkey, it also intends to provide mainte-nance for Middle Eastern PC-12 operators in Istanbul.

“The PC-12 is a great machine. Once one or two peo-ple buy it in the region, it will open their eyes,” said Amac’s executive group CEO and chair-man Kadri Muhiddin. “It offers [for example] $695 an hour [operating costs] versus $1,000 for a jet.” He added that the air-craft can operate to and from relatively short runways, with a variety of surfaces, and it is also pressurized and has mod-ern avionics. Amac (Stand 622/ Chalet A20) is demonstrating the aircraft here at the MEBA show.

Also during September, Amac opened its third hangar at its Basel, Switzerland headquar-ters. The company is no longer purely a completions specialist and can now offer a full range of MRO services, up to D-checks on the largest bizliners.

Amac’s aim is to draw on its

specialist knowledge of business aircraft interiors to differenti-ate it from other MRO organi-zations that mainly specialize in airliner support. “We won’t do airliners, and airline MROs don’t have the know-how to maintain these interiors. The most value is in this,” Muhiddin told AIN.

“We are not just a comple-tions center, we are an EASA-approved MRO,” he said, adding that, at present, all its comple-tions work is from Middle East customers, including govern-ments, and mainly from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. “We are in dia-logue with other [potential] cus-tomers from the Middle East.”

According to Schramm, the company is trying to “find the right balance” between com-pletions and maintenance. “We are 60 percent completions but maintenance is more stable, which is why we’ve decided to go into maintenance more,” he said.

Amac is already approved to undertake heavy and base main-tenance on Boeing 777s and Airbus A330/340s and expects to receive Boeing 747-400/-400-8i approval later this year. In May, the facility–whose three hangars total 231,000 sq ft–became a Boeing warranty ser-vice center. “We have done phenomenally well in winning completion, refurbishment and maintenance work contracts to the point that we have a secure and stable workload until 2014,” said Muhiddin. o


In October, Amac Aerospace delivered the first BBJ 777-200LR–completed for a private customer in the Middle East–to Jeddah-based Aviation Link.

To mark the recent appointment of Amac Aerospace’s new facility in Istanbul, Turkey, as Middle East distributor for the Pilatus PC-12, the Swiss airframer’s Pilatus business unit vice president Ignaz Greetener presented Amac CEO and executive chairman Kadri Muhiddin with a traditional Swiss cowbell.

A recent cabin interior by Amac Aerospace included this dining area. The Swiss-based company has the full array of completions skills at its expanded Basel facility.

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Boeing has confirmed plans to tap the improved performance being developed to refresh its 737 airliner family to offer lon-ger-range versions of its Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) family. The new BBJ Max will be powered by the same CFM International Leap 1-B engines that are set to deliver greater fuel efficiency and 14 percent more range to its 737 Max twinjets, as well as fea-turing new winglets.

Paralleling the commercial airliner program, the first BBJ Max model will be based on the 737-800-derived BBJ2 and will be known as the BBJ Max 8. Its projected range will be 6,325 allowing nonstop flights from Dubai to most of Australia. First deliveries are expected following planned service entry of the new 737 Max 8 airliner in 2017.

“For VIP customers, ex-tended range and exceptional comfort are equally important,” said Steve Taylor, president of Seattle-based BBJ, launching the program at the NBAA show in late October. “The BBJ Max will ensure our customers get the best of both.”

Boeing hasn’t yet announced a price for the BBJ Max 8 and it doesn’t expect the introduction of the new model to result in any immediate sales–or postponed deliveries. “For the most part, VIP customers don’t buy that far ahead,” said Taylor. “It’s just really unusual to be talking to a customer five years out. [And] as of today we don’t expect a lot of people in the backlog to say, ‘Wait, I want to get a BBJ Max.’ Where this airplane is going to sell is with [BBJ] owners who want to step up to a more effi-cient range capability.”

Following on from the Max 8 model will be a BBJ Max 9 development of today’s BBJ3 8. Plans are also being consid-ered for a BBJ Max 7 based on

the current core BBJ model.The CFM Leap engines pro-

vide a 13-percent reduction in fuel use over the BBJ’s cur-rent CFM56-7 turbines and the winglets bring an additional 1.5-percent savings. Engine maker GE, which with Snecma forms the CFM joint venture, also has a 25-percent stake in Boeing Business Jets.

Unfortunately for current BBJ owners, design changes in the wings required for the re-engining seem to rule out retro-fits. All BBJs are delivered green with custom interiors installed at completion centers.

Advantages over ACJBBJs already enjoy a range

advantage over competing Air-bus Corporate Jets (ACJ) and the Max upgrade will expand that gap, according to Boeing. Tay-lor points to the BBJ’s 6,500-foot cabin altitude and low ground stance, which eases getting peo-ple and things on and off BBJs, as other key differentiators. Air-bus, which unveiled its A320neo airliner engine upgrade program a year before Boeing unveiled its Max commercial airliners, has not yet announced plans to offer an ACJneo equivalent. However, the European airframer has indi-cated that this will happen.

Taylor himself demonstrated the range and capability of cur-rent BBJs in September when he captained a green BBJ from Los Angeles nonstop to its comple-tion center in Auckland, New Zealand, setting a world record for “speed over a recognized course,” a flight of 5,658 nm in 13 hours, 7 minutes and 54 seconds.

BBJ remains on track to deliver 12 aircraft this year and has an equal number coming out of completion. “I’ve got a sign up: ‘12 and 12 in ’12,’” said Taylor. In October, two BBJs for Middle Eastern customers were

delivered to undisclosed com-pletions centers in the U.S.

Boeing has six VIP special-ists promoting BBJ sales. While most cover vast swaths of terri-tory, the Middle East gets its own rep, Robert Johnstone, attesting to the importance of the market. “The joke is he lives in Termi-nal Five in Heathrow,” said Tay-lor, “somewhere between Seattle and Riyadh.”

Taylor acknowledged that the longer-legged BBJ Max won’t necessarily find appeal in the Middle East. Very simply, the

additional range being offered isn’t quite far enough for some desired nonstop routes and many other sectors already pop-ular with Middle Eastern cus-tomers can be flown direct in the existing BBJ.

A Challenging Market“The Middle East is partic-

ularly challenging,” said Tay-lor. “From the [Persian] Gulf to the East Coast of the U.S. is a little over 7,000 nautical miles. Even [the Max] doesn’t give us the legs to do that par-ticular mission.” Nonetheless, “The Middle East has always been a huge part of our busi-ness,” he said, accounting for “a quarter to 30 percent” of global sales of its four models: the pur-pose-built Boeing Business Jets (BBJ, BBJ2, BBJ3), the 777VIP, 787VIP and 747VIP. A dozen VIP 767s are also flying, most based in the Middle East.

For the “really big” VIP air-planes–the 777 through the 747–the Middle East commands 80 to 90 percent of sales, Taylor said, as the 747VIP illustrates: nine of the first thirty-six 747-8Is on order are VIP aircraft, eight for customers in the Mid-dle East, as is the first, which rolled off the assembly line in February. It is undergoing

completion at Lufthansa Tech-nik’s Hamburg facility, after an intermediate stop in Wichita for installation of an Aeroloft, an eight-cabinette sleeping area above the main deck’s headliner.

All Boeing VIP aircraft are delivered green to one of Boe-ing’s 16 authorized completion centers in the U.S., Europe, New Zealand and China. Tastes and travel styles differ from region to region, and Middle East-ern customers typically fly with a larger team and have signif-icantly more seats than a tra-ditional North American VIP transport. A rear section with business-class airliner seats for staff is common.

Three of the six 787 Dream-liners used for the 787’s certifi-cation program were recently placed with BBJ for sale, and Taylor expects “at least one or two of them to end up in the Middle East.” These 787s have a higher empty weight and lower maximum takeoff weight than the production model, but “for a VIP customer, there’s such phenomenal performance with more than an 8,000-nauti-cal-mile range, that the [reduced useful load] penalty isn’t very significant.” The next 787VIP delivery positions aren’t avail-able until 2020. o


BBJ legs leap longer with max engines and wingletsby James Wynbrandt

Boeing is offering executive and VIP clients the chance to derive extra range from the more fuel efficient Leap engines

that will power the new Max versions of its BBJ aircraft.

Cedar Jet offers VIP handling in Beirut Beirut’s main FBO, Cedar Jet Center (CJC,

Stand 214) has a full-service offering at Lebanon’s main gateway, Rafic Hariri International Airport, and is at MEBA to promote this business-aviation friendly destination and its ever-broadening range of services. CJC was established in 2005 by Mid-dle East Airlines (MEA) Group to coincide with

the opening of the airport’s general aviation termi-nal. In 2008, the company joined forces with group affiliate, Masco, to offer line maintenance services for a range of aircraft.

The partnership now offers aircraft hanga-rage and full maintenance services for the Air-bus A319CJ, Boeing BBJ, Cessna Mustang and Hawker 800/850/900XP. Lebanese charter firm Open Sky Aviation operates the Mustang.

“CJC was the first ISAGO [IATA safety audit for ground operations]-accredited FBO in the Middle East, and can handle any aircraft from turboprops and very light jets up to Boeing 747s,” said operations manager Randa Kammoun El Hurr. “CJC’s professional team offers dedicated VIP-handling services to private and executive air-craft at Rafic Hariri International. We adopt the latest high-quality services to maintain our leading position and our ISO and ISAGO accreditation.”

A founding member of MEBAA, CJC has 40 dedicated FBO staff, and access to MEA’s 1,300 ground-handling staff. “We frequently update our ground-handling equipment,” said Kammoun El

Hurr, “and we are open-ing a new crew lounge and snooze rooms,” she added. –P.S.S.

Client support staff at Cedar Jet Center numbers 40, among them are (l to r) Elie Nassif, Souhair Itani, Ali Nasser, Khouloud Noureddine, Randa Kammoun El Hurr (center manager), Manal Khneiser, Roni Bechara and Khalil Al Arab.

Cedar Jet offers management, hangarage

and maintenance services for a range of aircraft, including the Embraer

Legacy, Cessna Citation Mustang and Hawker 900XP.

CAE Emirates center celebrates tenth year by James Wynbrandt

Montreal, Canada-based flight training provider CAE is celebrating the tenth anniversa-ry of its Emirates-CAE Flight Training (ECFT) center during MEBA this week.

The center was created in partnership with the Emir-ates Group in 2002, and some 4,000 pilots per year are trained there now.

CAE is using the MEBA show to cement bonds with regional customers, both busi-ness and commercial. With about half the 3,800 business jet deliveries projected in the next five years destined for buyers outside the U.S., it sees demand for training in the Middle East going forward “about three to four times the pace of North America and Europe.”

CAE (Stand 360) also announced here at MEBA 2012 the appointment of Rob-ert Lewis as vice president and

general manager of business aviation, helicopter and mainte-nance training.

CAE created the new posi-tion following a recent reorga-nization from a regional man-agement approach into separate global commercial and business aviation training divisions.

Lewis most recently served as CEO of U.S.-based Penta-star Aviation, an aircraft char-ter/management company.

“I come from the business aviation industry, from CAE’s customers’ side. That’s what brought me here,” Lewis said. “[CAE] always had the ability to customize the training pro-gram to the individual operator better than anybody else.”

CAE’s new organizational structure will allow the com-pany to refine its focus on both its business and commercial offerings. “They are different customers and have different

training needs,” said Lewis.CAE will add another Chal-

lenger 604/605 full-flight sim-ulator to ECFT “in the next couple of months,” said Lewis, and will open a second com-mercial airline training center at its Silicon Oasis facility this spring, he added.

A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Lewis began his career about as far from avi-ation as possible, serving on a nuclear submarine and spend-ing “three years underwater,” before shifting his career to avi-ation. Yet he sees similarities between submarine and air-craft crew training.

“When you’re out in the ocean, thousands of feet below the surface, thousands of miles from shore, there’s nobody to call” in the event of a prob-lem, he said. “The way you react in an emergency is the way you’ve been trained. That philosophy is the same

whether running a nuclear powerplant under the ocean, or a high-performance aircraft at 45,000 feet.” o

CAE will host a reception at its booth at 2 p.m. this afternoon to mark the Emirates-CAE Flight Training center’s tenth anniversary.


CAE plans to open a second commercial airline training center this spring. Also on the horizon is the addition of another Challenger 604/605 full-flight simulator at its Emirates-CAE center in Dubai.

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ExecuJet flexes muscles as market begins slow recovery by Ian Sheppard

The Middle East market appears to be picking up as part of a gradual recovery from the downturn, but the turnaround is “generally slower than we would have liked,” according to Mike Berry, manag-ing director of ExecuJet Middle East. Cer-tainly the local market is nothing like as vibrant as it was back in 2007-2008, he told AIN but this has not stopped the Swiss-based business aviation services group from making the most of its opportunities in a region where it has been expanding from its base in Dubai since 1999 (see box).

ExecuJet (Stand 595) now has 15 FBOs around the world, with the most recent addition to the network being in Lagos, Nigeria. Here at the MEBA 2012 show, it is working alongside rival handling group Jet Aviation to manage the movement of aircraft on and off the static display.

The company’s Middle East fleet num-bers 21 aircraft, 14 of which are man-aged for their private owners. Six of these jets–ranging from a Hawker 800 to an Embraer Lineage 1000–are available for charter. The aircraft it manages are dis-tributed around the region, including in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, with crew usu-ally residing in the same location.

ExecuJet’s base at Dubai International Airport increased in size significantly a few months ago when it took over the Executive Flight Service hangar, formally operated by the airport itself. Two years ago, the company added a second han-gar, and it now controls eight separate lounges, additional ramp space and even a duty-free shop.

The company’s Middle East presence has been further enhanced through a new partnership with National Air Services

(NAS) to open an FBO at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia (see facing page). At the northern end of the region, it has opened another FBO in Istanbul through a partnership with Turkey’s Bilen Air Service.

“It works for us that we have our base out of Dubai but certainly we will look to the region for what else we can do,” Berry told AIN. “We provide a complete turn-key solution–sales, charter, full mainte-nance and passenger processing.”

ExecuJet’s maintenance offering also is expanding. “Our maintenance capa-bility has grown steadily over the years so now we’re a full service center for the entire range of Bombardier and Hawker Beechcraft aircraft, and for the Embraer Phenom and Legacy, plus we’re working on the Lineage as well as the [Gulfstream] G200 model [approvals]. We have 24/7 AOG teams also,” explained Berry. In November, for the second year running, ExecuJet Middle East won Bombardier’s authorized service facility excellence award in the international category.

The group started by specializing in Bombardier jets, which Berry said are still the most common in the Middle East. Generally speaking, he said, “Each man-ufacturer has its own market segment [in the region].” In his view, the underlying trend for aircraft owners to progress up the product chain to acquire larger jets has continued, although it appears to have slowed in recent years.

The strongest call for widebodied busi-ness aircraft still comes from Saudi Ara-bia, which is home to the region’s largest fleet–accounting for as much as 50 percent of the total, according to Berry. “NAS

obviously gives us a foothold in one of the biggest markets–and we’ll be introduced to new customers,” he said, referring to the new FBO in the Saudi capital.

“Over the years Middle East custom-ers have become more knowledgeable about bizjets–they are seen as a business tool and there is strong demand for char-tering,” reflected Berry. But despite this demand, charter rates remain suppressed following the downturn of 2008.

“With the market being the way it was, cost cutting became quite the thing,” he said. “It changed the market, and rates are currently still below what they should be.” From his perspective, soft flight-hour rates are not purely because of excess available aircraft but also due to some operators “shortcutting standards.”

Among aircraft owners, Berry observed there is “very much a mix” between owners

that are happy to allow their aircraft to be chartered and those who want to “fly in it themselves only.” Charterers are also made up of a mix of high-net-worth indi-viduals flying for pleasure–for example, to island resorts in the Maldives or Sey-chelles, or wealthy Russian tourists com-ing to Dubai. The business community is also very active, he said.

In Berry’s view, the Middle East busi-ness aviation sector is still relatively under-developed. “When it’s mature you’ll have dedicated business aviation airports as in the U.S.,” he said. “At the moment there is only one: Al Bateen in Abu Dhabi.” o


ExecuJet Middle East operations have been based at Dubai International Airport since 1999 and it has just expanded its footprint there by taking over the former Executive Flight Services facility.

ExecuJet’s Dubai FBO Grows

ExecuJet Middle East has been able to expand its FBO at Dubai International Air-port significantly, having taken over the management of the terminal building and ground-handling operation previously run by Executive Flight Services. This gives its customers access to additional space with eight separate lounges, enlarged customs and immigration services (including elec-tronic processing) and duty-free shopping.

The building also features a separate prayer room, a spacious arrivals area for meeting and greeting passengers, as well as a limousine drop-off area and parking.

“The additional 12,300 square feet of ter-minal space will allow us to efficiently grow our business by up to 50 percent while en-suring service levels are improved to meet customer expectations,” said ExecuJet Mid-dle East managing director Mike Berry.

“We will also be investing in airside ve-hicles, including limousines and baggage vehicles, as well as extra ramp-side equip-ment. Our introduction of full ground-han-dling services in Dubai is another important development, giving us an enhanced level of control over aircraft arrivals and depar-tures,” he said. –I.S.

The CiTaTion Ten is now The CiTaTion X (“Ten”) againCessna Aircraft always meant the Roman numeral in the name of its Citation X to be pronounced as “ten.” But when the company designated the upgraded model the “Citation TEN,” customers objected. Last month, Cessna announced it would keep the original name, shortly after regaining the crown for the world’s fastest bizjet (at Mach 0.935). Long live the Citation X!

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NasJet poised to grow in ’13; partners in ExecuJet FBOby Matt Thurber

Saudi Arabia’s NasJet claims it is poised to grow revenues by 20 percent next year, after a healthy 6-percent gain during 2012. The increase, according to CEO Ghassan Hamdan, is due to grow-ing aircraft management and operations support and more local charter agree-ments and charter business. In the first quarter of 2013, NasJet will open a new FBO at King Khalid International Air-port in Riyadh in conjunction with Swit-zerland’s ExecuJet.

NasJet is one of four National Air Services (NAS) Holdings Group compa-nies, which also include low-cost carrier Nasair, maintenance company Nastech and specialty charter provider Nas Char-ters, which flies Hajj/Umrah pilgrims into Saudi Arabia.

The company was formed in 1999 and partnered with fractional-share pro-vider NetJets to launch NetJets Middle East. That agreement ended in Novem-ber 2011, Hamdan explained, and “there-fore we decided to make a change in the business model.” With the NetJets part-nership, the emphasis was on fractional

shares and aircraft leases. Now NasJet focuses on aircraft management, support operations and charter, he said, although the company does still offer fractional shares.

NasJet’s retooling of its business model and diversification of service offer-ings, he added, “means that our review of the business model has succeeded. Dur-ing 2011 and 2012, the Egyptian market, which was a high portion of our market, negatively affected business aviation in the region. We are hopeful that the region will start a recovery in 2013. We are hope-ful and anticipate that in 2013 we will have an increase of almost 20 percent,” said Hamdan.

The NasJet fleet of about 65 aircraft consists of 25 percent available for charter and the rest managed for company and pri-vate owners. During the coming year, Nas-Jet will add a Cessna Citation and a Boeing BBJ to its fleet, and more additions are expected. “Our strategy in general is adding aircraft under the management program,” Hamdan said, “aircraft which can satisfy the needs of the market.”

The new FBO alliance with ExecuJet is part of NasJet’s plan for growth in 2013. “This is also a way to ensure the superior quality of service for clients who use our services in private aviation,” he said. Also important is hiring high-quality person-nel. “We have been successful in selecting a super quality staff and this is what we feel is our main advantage–that we pro-vide our clients with super quality service.”

NasJet is not only promoting its prod-ucts here at Chalet A3 but also taking advantage of the opportunity to meet with other companies and partners. “This is MEBA’s first time in Jebel Ali,” Hamdan said. “Dubai has good experi-ence in organizing these aviation exhibi-tions and airshows, and we are confident that MEBA 2012 will be another success for the organizers and the exhibitors.” o


Celebrating a deal here at MEBA yesterday to establish an FBO at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh are NasJet/ExecuJet’s Gary Forster, FBO manager–Riyadh (left), and NasJet director Hardy Sohanpal.

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Royal Jet fleet may mix BBJs with competitorsby Peter Shaw-Smith

Royal Jet, the commercial private jet concern owned by the UAE’s Presidential Flight Authority and Abu Dhabi Avi-ation, is planning a major fleet expansion in 2013, the year of its 10th anniversary.

“One of the major activi-ties [for 2013] will be the for-ward fleet plan,” said Shane O’Hare, Royal Jet’s CEO. “It will depend on who we choose. There will be a competitive ten-der. It won’t automatically be BBJ. There is quite a lot of com-petition…[among] Bombardier, Embraer, Boeing, Airbus, and the wider market. We anticipate an announcement in the first quarter of 2013.”

A defection by the nine-jet company away from Boeing, given that Royal Jet owns the world’s largest Boeing Business Jets (BBJ) fleet–six aircraft–would be a major blow for the U.S. manufacturer.

A major refurbishment pro-gram is under way for two of the existing BBJs in its fleet. One is undergoing a $12 million refit at Sabena Technics in Bordeaux, France, and will be ready in Jan-uary. Royal Jet now has two BBJ bays and one Gulfstream han-gar at Abu Dhabi International Airport (ADIA), and a wide-ranging commercial agreement for utility services is in place. A commercial agreement with ADIA for additional hangar space and other new infrastruc-ture tops the company’s agenda, O’Hare told AIN.

Although it is shareholder pol-icy not to discuss numbers, Royal Jet has enjoyed bumper profitabil-ity of late, thought to be in excess of $100 million for FY2011. Full-year profits were up 234 percent on the previous year. “We have nine airplanes, and a profitable business we run efficiently,” said O’Hare. “Yields are good, despite the global financial crisis, [but] this year there is more pressure on them. Last year was a clear record, but this year our perfor-mance was similar,” he added.

Royal Jet is now flying about one medevac mission a day. Two Gulfstream G300s and a Learjet 60 are well suited to short-haul trips, said O’Hare. “I am very satisfied at the level of business in medevac and corporate travel. The Learjet 60 is perfect, offer-ing low charter rates, at around $6,500 per day.”

In terms of the UAE and GCC operating environment, O’Hare welcomes the shake-out wrought by the global slow-down. His wish is for a smaller, better organized group of pro-fessional operators, whether FBO, charter or medevac, serv-ing the market professionally, safely and at fair prices.

Prior to the global finan-cial crash in 2008, he said, the region had an “anything goes” mentality. Many people ordered aircraft, speculated on buy-ing aircraft and slots, and many global companies entered the market. “It was a time when any-thing was possible,” said O’Hare.

“Today, the market is start-ing to significantly mature, com-pared to two years ago. But I still believe that a large part of the industry is facing difficulty due to market conditions, and the level of competitiveness. Strug-gling operators are driving down yields. Unfortunately, weaker players will leave the market.

“The customer base is much better informed, and that has created a far more competitive environment,” he said. “What we’d like to see is a playing field of well-funded, strong, profes-sional operators in the region, able to deliver safe and reliable service. What we don’t want are operators that are sailing close to the wind, and cutting cor-ners, not just blatantly operating illegally, but who cannot afford to pay their bills. They give the industry a bad name.”

The Future of DubaiO’Hare is excited about the

transfer of the MEBA event to the new venue at Jebel Ali. “[The site] is going through a growth phase, and this will be one of the first opportunities for Dubai Airports to showcase Jebel Ali and [its] future. It is going to be around for a long time. It’s the future of Dubai. It’s a good idea for MEBA also to move around to different locations. Abu Dhabi has its own executive air-port. There are also opportuni-ties for hosting MEBA [there].

“Dubai and Jebel Ali will develop their own specific mar-kets for private jets,” he said. “We are not entirely sure of the policy of Dubai International on future aviation for private jets, or the requirement to go to Jebel Ali. I think Abu Dhabi is the same

thing. We enjoy good business at ADIA, while Al Bateen [Execu-tive Airport] is a growing busi-ness for different reasons. If you have transiting aircraft, you want as much market share as you can get. [Even] Al Ain Airport is a consideration for transiting.”

Despite the embarrassment of

riches, O’Hare sees room for all these airports. “The more infra-structure available for the specific operations of private jets, such as unlimited slots, 24/7 access, close accommodation, fuel and main-tenance, the more competitive they will become,” he said.

Royal Jet is a founding

member of MEBA, and it is very important to the company as an organization, O’Hare said. “As a private jet show, it is certainly one of best in the world, up with the NBAA and EBACE. It’s a very, very strong show. We see the new location as positive thing.” o


Royal Jet, owner of the world’s largest BBJ fleet, plans to expand its holdings next year, but says it may shop the competition.

Vision Systems shows motorized tablet holder by Thierry Dubois

Vision Systems (Stand 200) is here at MEBA with two new cabin products: a tablet support arm called Smart Up, and Vis-iConnect, a system providing in-flight Internet connectivity. Both are available for all types of business jets.

Smart Up is a motorized-deployment arm that is integrated in the passenger’s armrest. The 3.3-pound device can accommo-date any type of tablet in portrait or landscape position, and its ori-entation can be changed easily. Lyon, France-based Vision Sys-tems said Embraer has already adopted it for its Phenom 300 light business jet.

VisiConnect, meanwhile, of-fers “a complete satcom so-lution,” the company said.

Depending on the kind of an-tenna the customer choos-es, various Internet speeds are available, from 332 to 864 kbps. This enables a conventional use of Internet, voice and Live TV. “Our customers mainly want access to their email, social net-works and voice communica-tions,” a company spokesperson told AIN.

He also explained that passen-gers using Vision Systems’ prod-ucts can download an iPod, iPad or Android app to control vari-ous window devices, such as the conventional “comfort shade” roller and two more modern win-dow-dimming systems: Noctis and Nuance, both of which can be fitted with light or tempera-ture sensors. Noctis is pricier than

Nuance, but faster and capable of higher opacity. Nuance windows are featured on the HondaJet. The company plans to have a fac-tory that will produce both types of polarizing window shades–Nuance and Noctis –up and run-ning in the U.S. next year.

Both types of windows are now available in variants–Noc-tis Xlite and Nuance Xlite–that use “composite glass.” This new transparent material for win-dows has glass-like optical qual-ities but is certified for aviation applications. “It is very thin, scratch resistant and more dura-ble than today’s Plexiglas [Per-spex],” the spokesperson said. It also is up to 50 percent lighter in weight compared to standard polycarbonate shades, claims the company.

Vision Systems is also pro-moting its Eclipse “privacy wall,” which can instantly switch from transparent to “private,” ensuring privacy in particular areas of a jet while letting light through. o

Vision Systems’ Smart Up tablet support arm can be oriented in landscape or portrait position.

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Emerging markets boost manufacturer forecastsby Ian Goold

As the business aircraft mar-ket continues to recover, AIN looked at recent growth forecasts from manufacturers.

Bombardier Aerospace sees indicators that are “mixed, yet trending positively.” New air-craft orders are supported by continued demand from devel-oped markets and growth poten-tial in emerging markets, which are forecast to play an increas-ingly important global role.

The company is confident in the “strong, long-term poten-tial” of the industry and foresees a worldwide requirement for some 24,000 deliveries valued at almost $650 billion during 2012-31 in the “light, medium and large” business-aircraft mar-ket sectors in which it competes. Bombardier’s forecast antici-pates 9,800 aircraft deliveries worth $266 billion from 2012 to

2021, and 14,200 shipments val-ued at $382 billion in the follow-ing 10 years.

While markets recover, current indicators remain mixed, said the Canadian manufacturer. “Mar-ket confidence needs to be fully restored for deliveries to increase strongly and enable the industry to realize its full potential.”

Bombardier expects deliveries to lag new orders as the industry tries hard to maintain accept-able backlog levels. Accordingly, this year’s deliveries likely will be comparable to those of 2011. But the company is optimistic that business jet deliveries will return to “sustained” growth in 2013, with the large-aircraft sec-tor expanding the fastest.

In light of market prospects here in the Middle East, the man-ufacturer forecasts requirements

for 410 new business jet deliver-ies during 2012-21 and 775 in the following 10 years. It sees the combined Middle East and Africa sector enjoying a con-tinuing rise in “business jet pen-etration,” a concept that takes into account 1960-2031 trends (actual and forecast) in fleet size and gross domestic prod-uct when compared with popu-lation growth profiles.

The company expects key growth markets–including Brazil, India, Russia and the Common-wealth of Independent States, Indonesia, Mexico, South Korea and Turkey–to receive a “signifi-cant share” of business jet deliv-eries in the period.

South American competi-tor Embraer has yet to publish a new market forecast, but has said that the region encompass-ing the Middle East, Asia and

Europe will account for a third of new executive jet revenues during this decade. Its current document, published last year, foresees this region accounting for $70 billion worth of business as manufacturers deliver a total of 10,000 new machines glob-ally during 2011-20.

Fifty percent of the world-wide shipments will involve entry-level, light and mid-light aircraft that will represent 19 percent of the 10-year market by value.

In October, the Brazilian manufacturer held briefings for its Phenom, Legacy and Lineage customers at two executive jet operators’ conferences (EOCs). Bangalore in India hosted a meeting for Phenom 100 and 300 users, while those flying the larger Legacy 600 and 650 and

Lineage 1000 designs met in Abu Dhabi.

Both groups received techni-cal, maintenance and flight oper-ations updates. “It is increasingly important to maintain close rela-tionships [with our operators],” said Embraer Executive Jets Asia/Pacific customer support and ser-vices director André Luis Vieira de Sousa. “Face-to-face meetings help improve the service and oper-ation of our aircraft.”

Such EOCs are “a key tool for us to receive feedback,” said Pedro Paiva, de Souza’s oppo-site number for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “It is critical to helping us define pro-cesses and ‘solutions’ for the growing number of operators and is one of the most impor-tant opportunities for custom-ers, operators, service centers and Embraer teams to exchange information and gather ideas.”

China Foresees GrowthEarlier this year, at the 2012

Asian Business Aviation Con-ference & Exhibition (ABACE) in Shanghai, Embraer China president Guan Dongyuan said, “We expect the worldwide executive jet market to experi-ence sustained growth between now and 2021.” This included an outlook for the local Chi-nese market for 635 business jets worth $21 billion. More than 500 Embraer executive jets are operating worldwide.

Meanwhile, in its annu-al global business aviation outlook unveiled in October, Honeywell –the avionics, en-gines and aerospace systems and services provider–predicted delivery of nearly 10,000 new business jets worth $250 billion during 2012-22, a 9-percent in-crease over last year’s expecta-tion of 10-year shipments.

The company suggests that 30 percent of buyers plan to replace or purchase new aircraft in the next five years, with Bra-zil, Russia, India and China–the so-called BRIC countries–lead-ing the way. Large-cabin jets are seen as accounting for more than 40 percent of the acquisi-tions, while market surveys sug-gest “continued modest growth over the next two to three years.”

Earlier this year, Honeywell’s annual examination of the heli-copter market concluded that worldwide purchases would “hold steady in the near term,” with 4,700 to 5,200 new civil air-craft being acquired during 2011-16. Two thirds of requirements are expected to cover light single- and twin-engine models as Asian purchase plans improve and those in the U.S. and Europe soften.

Honeywell’s growth rate figures for business aircraft deliveries come from “pric-ing increases and a change in expected business jet mix,” as customers continue to acquire larger models. The company forecasts delivery this year of about 680 to 720 new units, a single-digit increase over levels suggested 12 months ago.

“Next year’s totals are antic-ipated to be of similar magni-tude, reflecting the protracted nature of the global economic recovery,” said Honeywell Busi-ness and General Aviation pres-ident Rob Wilson. “Over the medium term, a return to his-torical growth conditions sup-ported by globalization, wealth creation in developing nations and new aircraft development should boost orders and sup-port accelerated growth begin-ning mid-decade.”

Despite the economic chal-lenges the industry has faced for more than three years, he said, “we believe some progress is being made.”

Requirements for new busi-ness aircraft in this region and neighboring markets to the southwest are seen as essentially stable, according to the company. “The share of projected five-year global demand attributed to the Middle East and Africa remains near the center of its historical 4 to 7 percent range,” it said.

Some 32 percent of sur-vey respondents plan to buy a business jet, down from the 38 percent recorded last year. Despite this reduction, the proportion planning to expand their fleets rather than simply replace aging aircraft almost doubled in the past 12 months. “Operators in the region shared direct candid [survey] responses indicating their pur-chases may happen further into the next five-year time frame, potentially influenced by recent political uncertain-ties,” concluded Honeywell.

On the rotorcraft front, sur-vey results suggest that the region does not display the same enthusiasm as the West-ern World does to purchase new smaller models in the coming five years. “Light single-engine helicopters had the highest con-centration of regional purchase interest in the Americas, while purchase interest was lower in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa,” said Honeywell.

Nevertheless, there is more interest in acquisition of larger units, according to Honeywell. Its analysts said the highest demand for medium-twin [heli-copters] was in the Middle East/Africa, Asia and Latin Amer-ica and that 40 to 50 percent of all references by make/model in Asia and Middle East/Africa were for medium twins.

Twenty-six percent of Mid-dle East/Africa operators sur-veyed planned to fly more hours this year than in 2011, with 4 percent expecting lower use. The Latin American region reported the highest average use last year. In a reversal of 2010 activity lev-els, reduced average use by Mid-dle Eastern/African operators in 2011 is thought to have reflected the recent period of political instability in the region. o


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History Forecast

Very high speed–Ultra long range

Ultra long range

Long range

Large

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Medium

Light-medium

Light

Very light

300

250

200

150

100

50

0

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tant

201

2 $

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on

To help improve the service and operation of its aircraft, Embraer held executive jet operators’ conferences –in India, for Phenom 100 and 300 users, and in Abu Dhabi, for those flying the Legacy 600 and 650 (above) and Lineage 1000.

Canadian manufacturer Bombardier, which produces the Global Express XRS corporate jet, forecasts a worldwide requirement for some 24,000 business aircraft deliveries valued at almost $650 billion during 2012-31 in the light, medium and large market sectors in which it competes.

Honeywell forecasts a 3- to 4-percent average annual industry growth rate during the next 10 years and delivery this year of 680 to 720 new aircraft.

Flying Colours wins first Saudi projectby Gregory Polek

Canadian completions, refur-bishment and maintenance specialist Flying Colours has received confirmation of its first Saudi aircraft maintenance proj-ect. Plans call for a Saudi-regis-tered Bombardier Challenger 604 to undergo a variety of major inspections, service bulletin and interior refurbishment work at the company’s facility in Peter-borough, Ontario, during next year’s first quarter. In Septem-ber, Flying Colours (Stand 600) received the required mainte-nance approvals from Saudi Ara-bia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), allowing it to carry out continuous airworthi-ness and line maintenance on air-craft registered in the country.

The first maintenance order from Saudi Arabia follows recent news that Canadian air-frame maker Bombardier has appointed Flying Colours and its U.S.-based subsidiary, JetCorp Technical Services, as autho-rized service facilities (ASFs) for Learjet and Challenger business jets. It already serves as a major supplier of green completions, aircraft refurbishments, avion-ics installations and onboard connectivity supply across the Bombardier Challenger, Global Express and Learjet families, as well as Dassault’s Falcon types.

Attending MEBA for the fourth time, Flying Colours made the trip to Dubai carrying the message of the recent ASF approval and the expansion of services it allows. The company can perform line and heavy maintenance and overhaul work while simultaneously perform-ing interior upgrades, connec-tivity implementation, exterior paint jobs and avionics work, thereby shortening fleet down-time, it said. As part of its ASF status, the company’s 350-strong workforce will benefit from Bombardier’s ongoing pro-gram of training and improv-ing operating procedures. Flying Colours is noted for its expertise in cabin completions for Chal-lenger 850 aircraft and is an authorized Bombardier comple-tions center for this work.

“We know our clients rely heavily on their aircraft for their business travel,” said Flying Colours executive vice president Sean Gillespie. “It is an essen-tial business tool for them, and with our new Bombardier ASF

approval we are in an even stron-ger position to offer both main-tenance and interior services in

parallel. We can minimize time on the ground, significantly sav-ing owners and operators time, money and inconvenience.”

St. Louis, Missouri-based Jet-Corp recently started work on its 35th Challenger 300 aircraft with a planned maintenance program covering a 96-month inspection, interior refurbishment and new exterior paintwork. o


Flying Colours won its first maintenance order from a Saudi Arabia-based Challenger 640 operator, following its approval by the country’s aviation authorities. The Canada-based group was recently appointed as an authorized service facility by Bombardier.

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Snecma Silvercrest test program continues apaceby Thierry Dubois

Snecma has started running the first Silvercrest turbofan at its Villaroche test facility near Paris, France. With 11,000 pounds of thrust, two of the units will power the Cessna Longitude super-mid-size business jet. EASA engine certifica-tion is slated for 2015 and FAA validation is expected shortly after.

“Silvercrest testing began in the last week of September,” program director

Laurence Finet told AIN. The engine reportedly reached takeoff

power in mid-October, but unfortunately Snecma is revealing little information beyond that. Asked about a number of hours or cycles reached, business aviation marketing manager Loïc Nicolas said, “Checking the engine’s behavior is more important than a number of hours.” Three other development engines are

under construction. And a total of eight will be used for testing and certification.

One of the test articles is to fly on a Gulfstream GII, modified as a fly-ing testbed. The first flight is pegged for mid-2013. This is “a project in the project,” Finet said. Modification work is expected to take a year-and-a-half. Pylon changes and the addition of telemetry equipment represent the bulk of the job. The GII will keep one of its

original Rolls-Royce Speys.When asked about studying a re-

engining of the GII and even the GIII, as they share the same engines, Finet said, “The Spey is rated at 12,400 pounds at takeoff; the Silvercrest could provide as much thrust at takeoff and even more than the Spey in cruise.” Although some contacts with GII and GIII owners have been encouraging, the idea is not deemed mature yet. Snecma wants to see a solid business case before moving forward.

Full-scale engine development for the Silvercrest program started in the third quarter of 2010. The core had undergone 80 hours of ground tests in 2008, after which Snecma toiled to find an applica-tion. The contract with Cessna was signed in May this year and the two companies have since started to work on installation details. The Longitude is slated to enter service in 2017.

The Silvercrest has long been rumored also to have been selected for the still-under-wraps Dassault Falcon SMS, a twinjet likely to replace the large-cabin Falcon 900. Such an application would explain the 2015 engine certification date, as the SMS is scheduled to be certified in 2016. Neither Snecma nor Dassault would comment on this.

The engine’s cold section is composed of a 42.5-in fan, a four-stage booster and a five-stage compressor (includ-ing four axial blisks and one centrifugal stage). The 20 fan blades are metallic. The “low-emission” combustor is said to have a high-altitude relight capability. It is followed by a single-stage high-pres-sure (HP) turbine featuring single-crys-tal blades and a four-stage low-pressure (LP) turbine. The HP and LP spools are contrarotating for better fuel efficiency, and the overall bypass ratio is close to 6:1.

Snecma is claiming the Silvercrest will burn 15 percent less fuel, emit 50 per-cent less NOx than the CAEP/6 standard and have a noise level 20 dB below Stage 4 requirements. This will halve the noise footprint “compared to existing engines in the 10,000- to 12,000-[pound-thrust] class,” said Finet, who named the two ref-erence engines as the 9,200-pound-thrust GE CF34-3 and the 9,440-pound-thrust Rolls-Royce AE3007C2 (actually slightly below the Silvercrest thrust class).

In terms of maintenance, Snecma emphasized that the Silvercrest is a “true on-condition engine,” with no fixed inter-val. No hot-section inspection will be required. Another feature will be in-flight engine monitoring capability. o


The Silvercrest turbofan, which is to power the Cessna Longitude, was run for the first time on Snecma’s testbed in Villaroche, near Paris in September.

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Rizon Jet expands services, preps for move to New Doha by Peter Shaw-Smith

Qatar’s Rizon Jet (Stand 340) is eye-ing business from all Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, expanding its air-craft maintenance services and building up its aircraft trading and management offerings, while preparing for a move to New Doha Airport and planning the establishment of an FBO at Paris Le Bourget airport.

The company expects to take delivery of three new managed aircraft in 2013, and to implement new agreements to act as authorized service centers for sev-eral OEMs. According to the company’s CEO, Capt. Hassan Al-Mousawi, Rizon Jet’s current managed fleet consists of a Global Express, three Challenger 605s and one Hawker 900XP.

“In 2013 we expect to add a Global 5000 and Legacy 650 to managed air-craft under our AOC, as well as a pri-vately managed A319 Corporate Jet,” said Al-Mousawi. The ACJ319 [sched-uled] for delivery in January has slipped

to April, while the Legacy 650 due in the first quarter is also slightly delayed, he said. “These are managed aircraft, so we have little control [over timings],” he told AIN.

Set up in 2006 and headquartered at Doha International Airport, the com-pany spotted a niche and is now focus-ing on the lack of aircraft management and MRO facilities. Previously, Qatari aircraft owners had to employ compa-nies in neighboring countries to manage their aircraft, while Qatari private-char-ter customers also needed to turn to out-side operators, which meant higher costs for aircraft repositioning.

“By establishing its facilities in Qatar, Rizon Jet has catered [to] local market requirements,” said Al-Mousawi. “Our client base embraces corporations, gov-ernments and private individuals in Qatar and the region who are looking for luxury travel solutions, discretion, time saving and the utmost convenience of traveling.

“Our mission is to meet increasing demand for corporate aircraft charter in the Gulf Cooperation Council states, expand our [portfolio] with aircraft maintenance services and build on our aircraft trading and management arm,” he told AIN.

Rizon Jet is a wholly owned subsid-iary of Ghanim bin Saad Al Saad and Sons Groups Holdings (GSSG). GSSG was set up in 1993 as a Qatari private-sector business group, owns and oper-ates more than 40 companies worldwide and has offices in London, Zurich, Cairo, Singapore and Dubai.

In 2009, Rizon Jet was the first Qatari private operator to obtain an AOC, and opened its facility at Biggin Hill, outside London. In 2011, it upgraded the Lon-don facility to a 130,000-sq-m hangar and FBO terminal, and also completed its Doha FBO, with a parking area of just over 5,800 sq m.

The hangar there is large enough to accommodate four Global XRSs or nine Challenger 604/605s. The 737-sq-m FBO houses five private lounges and a duty-free area.

Since 2010, Rizon Jet has been work-ing with affiliate British-owned Oryx Jet, which won its AOC from the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority that year and also operates from London Biggin Hill. British shareholders own the majority of Oryx Jet, while Rizon Jet is the minor-ity owner of the company, and consid-ers Oryx its “AOC arm” in the UK. This enables the pair to offer their clients air-craft management and chartering ser-vices across Europe and the Middle East. Oryx Jet’s fleet includes the Beechcraft Premier IA, Hawker 900XP, Falcon 50EX and a Bombardier Challenger 604, added in September, as well as two tur-bine-engine helicopters.

Rizon Jet’s two bases are authorized service centers for several OEMs, pri-marily serving business jet operators in the Middle East and Europe. It is an authorized service center with what Al-Mousawi calls “limited authority” for Bombardier, carrying out warranty work

on managed aircraft. “We are working with Hawker Beechcraft and Embraer for something similar or even more expansive,” he said, adding that talks are still under way for the agreement with Hawker Beechcraft.

With an eye to the future, Rizon Jet is weighing its plans for 2014, the sched-uled date for the opening of New Doha International Airport at a site four kilo-meters east of the existing facility. “A lot depends on the wider plan for the exist-ing airport, and once we know this, we can take a decision on which location is best for us, and most importantly for our customers,” said Al-Mousawi.

“In Doha…our business is not directly related to the airport hub, [but] is fueled by the economic activity of Qatar and the Gulf region, and the demand for exclusive business and leisure travel that that activity creates. The airport develop-ment represents a huge opportunity for us and we are excited about the prospects for new business it represents.”

Plans for further international expan-sion revolve around a new facility at Paris Le Bourget airport and currently are going through various approval pro-cesses. “Paris is the world’s most visited city and Rizon Jet would then be at the very center of Europe’s business aviation market,” said Al-Mousawi. “Le Bourget is certainly a challenging and competi-tive FBO market, but there is a great opportunity for a well-funded and posi-tioned newcomer like Rizon Jet.”

Rizon Jet will be making a major announcement regarding a new ser-vice offering here at MEBA, said Al-Mousawi. “There is no doubting the importance and influence of this year’s expanded MEBA show and we are look-ing forward to exhibiting alongside some of the leading names in the global avia-tion industry.” o


The new Rizon Jet FBO–complete with a reflecting pool and waterfall–under construction at New Doha International Airport in Qatar–will serve as an oasis for its clients. The new facility is expected to open in 2014.

Biggin Hill Airport near London is the site of a upgraded Rizon Jet FBO that includes an 130,000-sq-m hangar and terminal. Plans for further extension of its European presence include facilities at Paris-Le Bourget.

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Indian malaise is Middle East winby Neelam Mathews

As India’s general aviation sector limps back to life after temporary stagnation, Mid-dle East companies have been reaping the results of its tax-infused, straight-laced policy on maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO).

The country is fast losing the advantage of its strategic geo-graphic position that places it midway on the vital Middle East and Southeast Asia routes that could enable faster turnarounds.

Another merit in India’s fa-vor, namely a pool of qualified engineers that speak English, is getting eroded and diluted as the workforce moves to Middle East countries. It is losing its in-expensive-labor/high-skills edge as neighbors hasten their efforts to keep up with changing trends, adopting newer technology and serving a growing base of dedi-cated customers.

India’s inert market, tied

as it is with stringent poli-cies, has resulted in an exodus to the Middle East and Singa-pore of trained engineers who are looking for opportunities. With MRO growth not appar-ent, “people are not willing to return to India,” Sunil Ahlu-walia, president sales and mar-keting for Schneider Airservices India, told AIN.

Maintenance BaseIncreasing business with the

Middle East makes it one of the busiest routes for business aircraft from India. “Numer-ous operators head to the Mid-dle East for heavy maintenance not available in India, to estab-lished companies [such as] Jet Aviation and ExecuJet. Long-range charters are also tapped. Royal Jet, based at Abu Dhabi International Airport, is a pop-ular provider,” he said. Inter-estingly, Indian operators use

Middle East-based companies for stocking spares “because duty regimes are prohibitive in India,” said Ahluwalia.

India’s recent customs duty waiver on spare parts has not helped MRO providers to bring down costs, as it is applicable only if owners import spare parts for their own use. In addi-tion, an MRO company is required to pay customs duty if imported spares are not used within 90 days from the date of import. “This defeats the pur-pose of stocking. Given that we maintain numerous aircraft types, it is not practical for us to forecast spares utilization,” said Dhiraj Chhabra, associ-ate v-p, marketing, Air Works India Engineering.

Indian operators tradition-ally head for Europe or the U.S. for interior refurbishments. A recent Frost & Sullivan study pointed out that the Middle Eastern, Chinese and Indian markets will together comprise 27.3 percent of global demand for cabin interiors by 2020.

Self-sufficientThe Middle East is self-suf-

ficient from an aviation point of view, said Nick White, vice president business and general aviation for Air Works Engi-neering, and formerly COO at Joramco in Jordan. “What we can offer to the Middle East is price, and that is what I will be

doing.” White believes that once the domestic market is tapped for avionics upgrades and interi-ors, the company will look at the international market.

He acknowledged it will be tough to break into the Mid-dle East market initially, as it is “a more mature business and [more] likely to guarantee turn-around time.”

Global players such as Jet Aviation and ExecuJet, which are very active in the Middle East, “can’t break into India as it is difficult…Attempts by Lufthansa and Airbus have been thwarted in the past.

That is why we are meet-ing with Jet Aviation to look at opportunities to work together,” added White.

If the deal goes through, Jet Aviation’s jets that come to India will be supported by Air Works. “The benefit we have is lower labor rates,” said White. The company expects to get EASA certification to overhaul Hawker models 750 to 950XP at Delhi airport by the middle of this month.

Meanwhile, Jet Aviation has received CAR-145 approval from the Director General Civil Aviation (DGCA) in India. With this, Jet Aviation Dubai is authorized to perform line and base maintenance on aircraft registered in India that include the Gulfstream GIV-SP, GV-SP, G200, G500, G550; Embraer 135; Dassault Falcon 900EX and 2000; and line maintenance on the Falcon 7X.

Jet Aviation Dubai vice pres-ident and general manager

Michael Rucker said in June, “This approval recognizes the ability of our facility and our professionals to meet the high-est quality standards, designed to ensure the safety and security of our customers.”

While focusing on the Mid-dle East and China as signifi-cant growth areas, an official of ExecuJet was quoted as say-ing Indian clients are actively buying aircraft, “but there is a trend toward registering the aircraft outside India while the infrastructure grows in accordance with the demands of the owners.”

As part of its expansion into Asia, ExecuJet signed a memo-randum of cooperation earlier this year with Angkasa Pura 1 to design, construct and manage general aviation terminals at 13 Indonesian airports that com-pany manages.

In a reverse strategy, but in the commercial arena, Shar-jah-based Aerostar Asset Man-agement’s agreement with Air India’s engine shop was signed to provide impetus to market capabilities to customers in the Middle East and Africa. Aero-star uses Air India’s EASA- and FAA-approved facility in Mumbai, sourcing business for the carrier. o


Where Is everybody?

This Bell 429 helicopter must feel lonely here on the MEBA 2012 static display, as it is the only helicopter at the show among more than 45 airplanes. On the other hand, being the “lone wolf” isn’t all bad. Being the only aircraft that can take you where no airplane can ever go could attract the attention of a many MEBA attendees. Hawker Pacific Airservices, a representative for Bell Helicopter, is showing the popular light helicopter. n

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Flyers come to Fargo on a convenient great circle

Fargo Jet Center officials made the long journey to Dubai to highlight the FBO’s convenience as a point-of-entry for business jets flying to the U.S. from Europe and the Middle East.

A first-time MEBA exhibi-tor, Fargo Jet can be found at the Avfuel exhibit in the U.S. Pavilion (Stand 580) promot-ing its location in North Dakota as an ideal fuel stop and U.S. Customs clearance location for westbound traffic headed to the southwestern U.S.

In addition to selling Avfuel-branded fuel, Fargo Jet pro-vides aircraft maintenance and avionics repairs, charter and management services, aircraft sales and acquisitions and flight training.

Fargo Jet is also approved and inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for handling of international trash, according to vice president of marketing Darren Hall.

The U.S. Customs office and air traffic control tower at Fargo’s Hector International Airport are open 24/7. The air-port offers a 9,000-foot run-way and plenty of commercial airline flights for when crew swaps are necessary.

“There is a tremendous amount of opportunity for business aviation in the Middle East,” said Hall. “Exhibiting at MEBA provides us a connec-tion to that opportunity. We’re hopeful MEBA will open doors to new opportunities for busi-ness development.” –M.T.

Travelers flying from Europe and the Middle East to the southwest U.S. can opt for a convenient fuel stop at Fargo Jet Center’s FBO in North Dakota.

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Middle East is rich in business aircraft salesby Peter Shaw-Smith

Airbus Corporate Jets

The region has long been an integral part of the Airbus Cor-porate Jets (ACJ) global sales effort, with several government and commercial private jet enti-ties well established as cus-tomers. At the 2007 Dubai Air Show, Airbus announced that Prince Al Waleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia would become the owner of the world’s first pri-vate A380. Kuwait’s Al Kharafi Group took delivery of the first ACJ319 in 1999, and the state of Qatar received the first ACJ320 Prestige a year later. Comlux, another player with strong ties to the region, took delivery of the first ACJ318 in 2007.

The OEM claims global sales of 170 aircraft: 110 of the ACJ320 family and 60 govern-ment and VIP widebody mod-els. In the Middle East, ACJ owners also include Saudi Ara-bia’s National Air Services, Saad Group and Mid East Jet, Qatar Airways and the Qatari Amiri Flight, while Al Jaber Aviation and Comlux also have

aircraft on charter in the region, the company said. In addition to Qatar, Oman is also a govern-ment ACJ player.

ACJ made its first sale, an A300, to a UAE customer in the 1980s. “That gives an indica-tion of how important the Mid-dle East has been historically as a corporate jet market,” said David Velupillai, ACJ’s mar-keting director. Customers are evenly split between companies, high-net-worth individuals and governments. “The Middle East is Airbus’s largest market for corporate jets,” he added. “The market for the widebody Airbus is the largest for all of the corpo-rate jets we make.”

The creation of a distinct corporate jets business unit, announced at last year’s Dubai Air Show, has led the company to place increased emphasis on aircraft displayed at airshows. “In the corporate jet business, the key factor in selling the air-craft is the cabin,” said Velu-pillai, stressing the advantages of space. “That’s different from the airline side, where the

[main concern] is economics.”In May, Airbus Corporate

Jets announced that its ACJ318 and ACJ319 had gained EASA and FAA approval for Part 135 operations. Importantly, Saudi Arabia’s regulator, the Gen-eral Authority of Civil Avia-tion (GACA), was also included in the list of bodies grant-ing approval, as was China’s CAAC. Previously, jets such as these had to obtain Part 121 approval, entailing the same kind of checks that commer-cial airlines undergo. Federal Airworthiness Regulation Part 135 requirements recognize that business operators carry fewer passengers, fly less frequently and face a less demanding envi-ronment than airline operators.

BombardierBombardier expects its prod-

uct range to attract new interest here at MEBA 2012. “We’ve been active in the Middle East since the introduction of the Challenger 600, our first business jet, and over the years we’ve seen demand steadily grow and the mar-ket develop,” said Khader Mat-tar, regional vice president, Bom-bardier Business Aircraft, Middle East, Africa and India.

“The Middle East is a devel-oped market that has tradition-ally favored large-cabin jets…and Bombardier is the mar-ket leader, with approximately 25 percent market share,” Mat-tar added. “Our Challenger jets have been great sellers here and we [now] have a 64-percent market share in their segments. However, with global expansion

the market is growing and there is demand for all of our jets.”

The company’s Learjet family features the 40XR, 45XR, 60XR and the in-development Learjet 85. Additionally, Bombardier is developing the Learjet 70 and 75 as successors to the Learjet 40XR and 45XR. In the Chal-lenger segment, it has the Model 300, 605 and 850, while its Global family features the 5000 and 6000 jets, and the in-devel-opment 7000 and 8000, in which Qatar Executive is believed to have expressed an interest.

The Bombardier Business Aircraft Market Forecast expects industry deliveries of 1,185 new business jets for the Middle East over the next 20 years. “For the ten years between 2012 and 2021 we expect that the mar-ket will take delivery of 410 jets and for the following ten years, 2022 to 2031, a further 775 air-craft will be delivered,” Mattar said. “More importantly, the vast majority of these deliveries are expected to be new additions to the fleet.

“Typically, people in the region will fly with an entourage,

which is just one of the reasons why our Global jets are so pop-ular here. Our Global 6000 fea-tures the largest cabin of any pur-

pose-built business jet, and with its 6,000-nautical-mile-range, it can fly eight passengers and three-to-four crew from Dubai to Perth nonstop,” he said.

The Global 7000, with its four-zone cabin, will offer at least 20 percent more space than the Global 6000. The Global 8000 offers a range of 7,900

nm, which Bombardier claims is unmatched by rivals. “Our in-development Global 7000 and Global 8000 jets are already gen-erating interest in the MENA region as we work to redefine the large-cabin and long-range segments,” Mattar told AIN.

DassaultA unique brand of Gallic

flair and a military- and private-jet manufacturing model that cannot be found anywhere else in the world has combined to make French company Dassault Aviation popular with Middle East buyers. “You can imagine the impact of the relations we have with our customers, which is very close and personal,” Renaud Cloatre, Dassault Avi-ation’s international sales direc-tor, who is based here in Dubai, told AIN. “People in the Middle East want to have a business jet on which they can rely and which offers them a very safe flight. We have a very good image in terms of safety,” he added.

Cloatre said Dassault has a global backlog of more than 110 aircraft, with some 65 air-craft to be delivered for 2012. Middle East companies now operate more than 60 Falcon business jets and will take deliv-ery of around 12 new aircraft over the next 18 months. Sau-dia Private Aviation became the largest owner of the Falcon 7X worldwide with its fourth deliv-ery last March. “We see strong demand from new customers in the Gulf Cooperation Council and other Middle East regions,” said Cloatre. “There was a drop in demand last year, but it is back this year.”

Since rollout of the first Falcon 20 in 1963, more than 2,100 Falcon jets have been delivered to 67 countries world-wide, according to the com-pany. The family of Falcon jets now in production includes the trijets–Falcon 900LX and 7X–as well as the twin-engine 2000LX, 2000LXS and Falcon 2000S. Dassault launched the six-passenger Falcon 2000LXS in October, designed to replace the 2000LX in 2014. It climbs to 41,000 feet in only 19 min-utes, but requires runway length of only 2,260 feet.

However, the company’s tri-jets are a regional favorite. The three-engine aircraft give execu-tive travelers additional options: “Business flyers don’t have to divert [in the event of a one-engine malfunction] but can con-tinue their flight as planned,” said Cloatre. With a range of 5,950 nm, typical Falcon 7X city pairs



The Middle East remains the sales sweet-spot when it comes to regions that business jet manufacturers look to for customers despite its relatively small size and the rapid emergence of China, Brazil and other countries where momentum is building. This is true in particu-lar of large cabin jets and corporate versions of airliners. AIN spoke to some of the leading original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to assess their status in the region. (For a look at Boeing Business Jets’ profile in the region, please see page 28):

Airbus Above: A320neoBelow: AC319 cabin

Khader Mattar, regional vice president, Bombardier Business Aircraft, Middle East, Africa and India.

Bombardier Above: Challenger 850 cabinBelow: Global 6000

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include Dubai-Perth, Dubai-Tokyo and New York-Dubai.

In addition to its line of Fal-con jets, Dassault Aviation produces the Rafale fighter. “Dassault is the only manufac-turer on Earth making private jets as well as combat aircraft. In terms of basic operational weight, we save 20 to 30 percent

on our competitors,” said Cloa-tre. With its steady pipeline of deliveries in the region, the need to train pilots to fly the aircraft is assuming increased impor-tance. “CAE training is seeing very good activity [in Dubai] with all the Falcons that are in production,” Cloatre added.

He cites the MEBA 2012 event as proof that the Middle East region is no longer “emerg-ing.” “It is now a ‘mature’ mar-ket,” he said. “The event is essential for us. Ali Al Naqbi is doing a tremendous job. Regional associations are essen-tial for lobbying. Business avi-ation has to defend itself in airspace that is crowded. We need this kind of show as a ren-dezvous for professionals, the owners and clients, and custom-ers. For me, it really compares to EBACE. It is a key element for aviation in the region.”

Embraer Executive JetsEmbraer Executive Jets (EEJ)

has won over the Middle East region in both commercial and

business jets, with around 100 deliveries to date, split roughly 55 to 45 percent between the two segments. Despite slightly fewer sales, business jets have enjoyed real success. “Our products are found in all locations in the Middle East, including Oman, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Leba-non, Kuwait and Bahrain,” said Colin Steven, EEJ’s vice presi-dent, EMEA. “It’s our second-biggest market.”

EEJ said at least 46 executive jets are operating in the region:

five Phenom 300s, more than 30 Legacy 600s and five 650s, and six Lineage 1000s. “The Lineage 1000 is the leader of our seven-model fleet; the biggest number of Lineages worldwide is found in the Middle East,” said Steven. “The first Legacy in the region went to Saudi Arabia in 2004 and, shortly afterward, the Saudi Arabian Airlines acquisition of the [commercial] ERJ-170 took place, and the rest [of the region’s airlines] followed suit.”

Abu Dhabi’s Falcon Aviation Services operates a Lineage 1000 and two Legacy 600s on corpo-rate charter. Al Jaber Aviation operates a Legacy 600 and a Lineage 1000. In Dubai, Empire Aviation manages and operates a fleet of six Legacies. In addi-tion to pure-play business jets, Saudi Aramco’s three ERJ-170s, the Royal Omani Police’s ERJ-175, and Petro Air’s three ERJ-170s are also regarded as part of Embraer’s executive jet fleet in the region.

Embraer held its Middle East executive operators conference in Abu Dhabi in October to give technical, maintenance and flight operations updates and famil-iarize operational and service teams on new MRO centers in the region, and improved spare-part provisions and logistics turnaround times. In addition to an extensive network of owned and authorized service centers in Europe, Falcon Aviation Ser-vices in Abu Dhabi and ExecuJet Aviation Group in Dubai offer authorized MRO facilities.

Falcon offers line maintenance on the Legacy 600 and 650 and the Lineage 1000, while ExecuJet provides line maintenance on the Phenom 300 line, and base main-tenance for the Legacy 600 and 650. Lanseria Jet Centre in Johan-nesburg, South Africa, also offers base maintenance for the Phenom 100 and 300, and line mainte-nance for the Legacy 600 and 650. EEJ’s EMEA office is located in London, with regional directors located in Russia, the UAE, South Africa, France and the UK.

The Legacy 600 and 650 have benefited from their ability to perform in the intense, 45-degree C summer heat of the Middle East. “[The Legacy’s] hot-and-high performance makes it an ideal airplane to operate in the Middle East, and it is far less restricted [than its competitors] in hotter conditions,” said Ste-ven. At MEBA 2012, several Embraer business jets owned by various operators are on display, including the Phenom 300, Leg-acy 650 and Lineage 1000.

Hawker BeechcraftScott Plumb, vice president

of sales EMEA, told AIN, “As one of the key events in the busi-ness aviation calendar, MEBA is a great opportunity for HBC to showcase our products, such as the King Air family, to pro-spective customers in the Mid-dle East, as well as building the overall reputation of the brand. We are also looking forward to the event to catch up with our clients and discuss the aviation issues affecting the region.”

Plumb added that the com-pany is “currently the leading manufacturer in the Middle East, holding 25 percent market share

in the segments in which we com-plete [71 percent in business tur-boprop aircraft and 16 percent in business jets].” This, he added, is based on October 2010 analysis of data from JetNet.

The company has been devel-oping its support network, too. “As a sign of our commitment to the Middle East, we recently strengthened our customer sup-port network there by partner-ing with ExecuJet, and have added an additional $10 mil-lion worth of parts warehoused in Dubai, London and Singa-pore. We also have an alliance with Arabasco in Saudi Arabia,” Plumb continued.

In terms of the overall mar-ket in the region, he said, “[We believe] that the long-term growth prospects for business aviation in the Middle East are strong. This is being fueled by a combi-nation of a heightened focus on privacy and security, strong eco-nomic development in the Mid-dle East, greater diversification of the region’s wealth around the world and the need for new gov-ernments in the area to increase their international exposure.

“There is also growing inter-est in the region for other appli-cations of business aircraft, such as medical evacuation and aerial surveillance,” he said.

Plumb concluded that, “We believe that business aviation is growing in the Middle East as a result of an influx of compa-nies that offer corporate jet ser-vices to their senior executives, and a growing number of sec-ondary airports in less popu-lated areas in the region, making travel to remote areas easier–a benefit especially valued by oil and gas companies.” o


Middle East is rich in bizav salesuContinued from page 42

Embraer Above: Lineage 1000Below: Legacy 600 cabin

Dassault Above: Falcon 7XBelow: Falcon 7X cabin

Hawker BeechcraftAbove: King Air 350iBelow: King Air 350i cabin


cabin zone Airbus proposes the installation of a VVIP fit encom-passing a master bedroom, mas-ter office and conference area. Governments requiring head-of-state aircraft are seen as the main potential customers.

With Gala, Airbus is seeking to reduce the cost and delivery time for widebody VIP aircraft. Under a traditional procurement

program, an airframe would be acquired, followed by the design and engineering of the special-ist interior, and then the actual installation would take place. Under the Gala concept, the interior would be pre-engineered and ready for installation when the aircraft arrives. The inte-rior installation could be pre-bid to achieve cost savings, and the whole procurement process would be accomplished in as lit-tle as 18 months (for an aircraft

with refit only in the door-two-to-three zone). That would include about six months of pre-engineering phase, followed by 12 months of installation. A full-cabin refit package would typi-cally take 18 months to perform.

While Gala is aimed at all A330s and A340s, the A340-500 is the most obvious can-didate, as it offers the greatest range of the family. Although the A340 is now out of pro-duction, ex-airline aircraft in

excellent condition are becom-ing available. Singapore Airlines, for example, is returning five A340-500s to Airbus as they are replaced by A380s. The A340-500s have routinely flown on the Singapore-New York route with full airliner loads, illustrating the huge range potential of the type.

Airbus expects to get its first aircraft back from Singa-pore Airlines in the last quarter of 2013, and is hoping to firm up interest in the Gala VVIP

conversion over the next few months so that the engineer-ing process can begin. A num-ber of approved outfitters have been approached. Although the A340 is no longer available as new, the type is generating a lot of interest and Airbus is currently working on outfitting an A340-200 for a Saudi cus-tomer. Under the Gala concept, the original seating and inte-rior can be retained in the aft cabin, if desired to save costs, although customers can also specify from a range of new outfitting options.

Also here at MEBA, Airbus Corporate Jets is displaying two aircraft from its single-aisle fam-ily: an ACJ318 from Al Jaber and a privately owned ACJ319. With the ACJ318 proving particularly popular in the region because of its good cargo volume, the company is also promoting the ACJ318 Enhanced, which was announced at NBAA in Orlando, Florida a few weeks ago. o

outside the terms of its AOC and legitimate operators see earn-ings whittled away by fly-by-night operators cutting corners and fail-ing to provide proper insurance.

Outside voices speaking on the regulators’ panel warned that it might take an accident for the region to really wake everyone up to the dangers of such operations.

“Are you that good–or that lucky?” asked Louis Sorrentino, managing director of safety, security and ops for consultancy ICF SH&E, rhetorically. “Don’t take for granted that we had a great run, and zero accidents [in the region].”

“One of the big problems we face is that we don’t have a [concise] definition of what is illegal,” said Aoife O’ Sullivan, a lawyer with Gates and Part-ners. She said regional regula-tors are too cautious, and need to do a better job of identifying where accountability lies. Failure to do so would likely throw the field open to aircraft from bet-ter-organized jurisdictions.

Despite the challenges, thoughts are also turning to how to expand the region’s busi-ness aviation potential. Tilmann Gabriel, executive vice president at Qatar Executive, called on Middle East business aviation

to emulate the success of com-mercial carriers. “We need to develop a global business,” he said. “We need to start working globally.”

“We’ve emerged from the financial crisis far healthier than people predicted,” said Ali Al Naqbi, founding chairman of MEBAA. “Some 500 aircraft are registered in the region, and this will rise to 1,300 by the end of the decade. By 2018, the business avi-ation industry will be worth $1 billion [in revenues],” he added.

Private Owners a ProblemThe high incidence of private

owners in the region does not help the situation. O’Sullivan underscored the extent to which the region is still dealing with the challenge of defining basic prob-lems. “In terms of risk transfer, who is the operator of the flight? The operator? The owner? The AOC holder? Who is legally lia-ble if anything happens? Make somebody responsible.”

Dave Edwards, managing director for the Middle East and Asia for Gama Aviation, said, “Bigger operators are coming in and taking business away from local players.

[Our] revenues have been affected by the market. We need to educate owners about the dif-ference between private and com-mercial operations.” “Does he have an AOC? No, Part 91,”

said Dr. Mark Pierotti, COO at Abu Dhabi’s Al Jaber Aviation, to underline Edwards’ assertion.UAE-regulator GCAA’s resources are stretched by bumper growth at commercial carriers Emirates and Etihad, leaving them strug-gling to cope with alternative sec-tors, which are lesser priorities when seen from a national per-spective. Muddying the search for

joint positions, the Middle East and North Africa boast at least 22 civil aviation authorities.

“We do conduct ramp checks for commercial operators,” said Aqeel Al Zarouni, director of foreign operators at the GCAA. “For the private sector, we don’t conduct such services. [But] we are here to receive comments and complaints.”

“If they [illegal operators] knew what they were getting involved with in chartering cer-tain aircraft, many corporations would never get on board the aircraft,” said Edwards. “‘Some-body is going to pay for this acci-dent’ [needs to be the message],” said Edwards, who concluded, “it’s a question of getting the leg-islation right.” o

MEBA Confab uContinued from page 1

As part of the Gala concept, the A340 can be fitted with VVIP features, such as a boardroom and a shower-equipped bathroom.

Welcome to the Gulf, Gulfstream!Rolling toward the MEBA 2012 static display, this Gulfstream 450 joins a G550 to represent the storied line of American business jets this week in Dubai. A descendent of GIV series, the best-selling business jet in the world, the G450 is a complete upgrade of its popular ancestor. The large-cabin jet G450 can carry eight passengers 4,350 nm and has a maximum operating speed of Mach 0.88.

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Qatar Executive expands on-demand private service by Peter Shaw-Smith

Qatar Executive is expanding its fleet, preparing for the opening of its FBO at New Doha International Airport in 2014, and increasing destination options for its customers. To date, the UAE’s Emirates airline and Etihad Airways have given no indication of following Qatar Airways in setting up an executive jet operation.

“Our growth is fueled by an increas-ing desire for on-demand private jet travel in the Middle East, Asia, Russia and, increasingly, Africa,” said CEO of Qatar Executive and of Qatar Airways, Akbar Al Baker. “As part of our expan-sion strategy, we will see more world-class private jets join our fleet and invest more

in brand-new facilities, some of which will be opened in the near future.”

Qatar Executive oper-ates six wholly owned all-Bombardier corporate jets: three Challenger 605s, two Global 5000s and a Global Express XRS. Last May, it announced plans to purchase Bombardier 7000/8000s. “This move will ensure that we continue to offer one of the best available products in the region and worldwide, while keeping our fleet young and modern,” said Al Baker.

The company spent 2012 increasing its core business of aircraft charters, as well as large-airliner charter, aircraft manage-ment, maintenance and FBO services at Doha International Airport. Main-tenance operations were augmented in March when Bombardier appointed Qatar Executive as an authorized service facility, enabling it to carry out scheduled maintenance, repair and warranty ser-vices at its 6,400-sq-m hangar in Doha for the Challenger 300, Challenger 604/605 and the Global family of aircraft.

While noting the enhancement of its current facilities, Al Baker described the future FBO at New Doha International Airport as likely to be “one of the most advanced and prestigious facilities” of its kind anywhere in the world. “The con-struction of the facility is expected to be

finalized over the next couple of years,” he said. “Until that time, all business jets are served at our Doha International Air-port FBO, which will shortly be upgraded into a truly luxurious facility.”

Whether Qatar Executive’s client base of ultra-high-net-worth individu-als choose vacation travel to resorts in the Maldives, the Seychelles or to Mau-ritius, or its business traveler custom-ers are intent on saving time and money on routes throughout the Middle East, Africa and Russia, “a bespoke in-flight product and impeccable service” are the keys to client retention, Al Baker told AIN. “While price is not so much an

issue, customers are very travel-savvy and are looking for value for money even at the luxury end of the scale,” he added.

Qatar Executive is not the only beneficiary of Al Baker’s desire for inter-national alliances. A deal signed in May with Bombardier partner Flexjet allows premium travelers to Qatar Airway’s four North American gateways–Houston, New York, Washington and Montreal–to connect to Flexjet’s private jet services, a network giving access to 5,000 destina-tions in the U.S. and beyond, a much big-ger array than the 500 airports served by commercial airlines.

Qatar Executive’s Global 5000 air-craft is on static display at MEBA 2012. “We are [participating] at the MEBA exhibition…to demonstrate Qatar Executive’s commitment to the Mid-dle East’s buoyant business jet market, which is continuously leading the way in the global aviation industry,” con-cluded Al Baker. o

Qatar Executive’s Global 5000 aircraft is on static display at MEBA 2012, demonstrating the private jet firm’s commitment to the Middle East’s buoyant business jet market.

WIDE WORLD OF WINDSHIELDS

Diversity of design is readily apparent in this lineup of business jets on the MEBA 2012 static display. And that is the essence of what makes air shows so compelling, because while a picture tells a thousand words, being face to face with a bevy of bizjets all in one place offers a unique and irreplaceable value. � n

Multi-service aero card program covers more than just fuel

Consolidating all aircraft-related expenses is the specialty of Multi Ser-vice Aero, exhibiting here at Stand 152. Not just a contract fuel program, the Multi Service Aero card allows aircraft operators to pay for fuel and any other charges and take advantage of Multi Service’s billing and payment systems services. The Multi Service Aero card is accepted at more than 4,900 airports in more than 200 countries. Card users also receive discounts on fuel and have access to suppliers for flight arrange-ments and other services.

MHS Aviation, a charter and aircraft management provider based in Munich, Germany, recently signed up with Multi Service Aero. The company operates

three Dornier 328s, two air ambulance-equipped Learjets (31 and 55 models), two Learjet 45XRs, one Learjet 60 and four helicopters (two AgustaWestland A109s, a Eurocopter AS350BE and a Bell LongRanger).

“We decided to participate in the Multi Service Aero program because we can see the benefits of such a flexible and easy-to-use service,” said MHS manag-ing director Steffen Fries. “It’s helping us streamline and modify many of our transactions, and this means we can react faster to urgent inquiries and minimize any delay in preparing for flights. This works particularly well for our Chal-lenger 604, which is frequently traveling to and from the Gulf region.” –M.T.

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Nexus connects with markets beyond the Middle Eastby Charles Alcock

Local knowledge counts for a lot when you are in the business of trying to expand the horizons of the Middle East’s still relatively young business avia-tion market. This is where Saudi Arabia-based Nexus Flight Operations Services believes its experience and connections give its clients an edge, with its founders having been closely involved in the sector from its earliest days.

More recently, Nexus has been spread-ing its wings into other challenging new markets, such as Africa and India. Beyond flight support, the company is now expanding its operations into aircraft management, training, concierge services and emergency planning –in some cases in partnership with Western companies that have previously found these new markets too daunting to enter.

Nexus president and CEO Abdullah Al-Sayed has an insider’s view of both local business aviation consumers and those trying to serve them.

After starting his career with the flight inspection division of the Saudi defense ministry and then with ground-handling, management and mainte-nance group Arabasco, he ended up serving as director of flight operations for NetJets Middle East (as an employee of its local partner, National Air Ser-vices). Subsequently, he served in a sim-ilar role for Abu Dhabi-based Royal Jet and later for B-Jets, which was an attempt to introduce fractional owner-ship to India.

The idea for Nexus, which Al-Sayed launched in January 2010 with former NAS director Mohammed Al-Zeer, was to provide aircraft operators with comprehen-sive flight operations support. He invested almost $2 million in purpose-developed software (based on the AIMS system used by airlines such as Etihad and Gulf Air).

To ensure full redundancy, Nexus (Chalet P1) set up parallel operations centers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain. This turned out to be a pru-dent move when political demonstra-tions in Bahrain turned violent in February 2011, giving the company the option to shift staff to Saudi Arabia. The company’s main servers are housed in the U.S., providing an additional layer of technical security.

In May 2011, Nexus branched out into Africa by forging an alliance to form a flight support operation with the government-backed Rwandan Develop-ment Board.

This started with a concierge service run from Jeddah, but by the end of 2012 the partners aim to have a flight opera-tions support center up and running in Kigali, the capital. “The target for the operations in India and Africa is that they become independent and are able to back up our other operations,” said

Al-Sayed.Earlier this year, Nexus stepped into

another emerging market in which West-ern flight support groups have struggled to get established, when it signed a part-nership agreement with Mumbai-based handling and support group Sovika Air-line Services to develop a network in India. Meanwhile, in Europe, Nexus cur-rently is finalizing a joint venture with France-based air transport logistics group Flytrans.

In addition to providing flight sup-port, Nexus manages more than 13 aircraft, including several Hawkers, Bom-bardier Challengers, Embraer Legacys, an Airbus ACJ and a Learjet 60.

The company holds IS-BAO and IOSA certification, but has no plans to get a commercial air operator’s certif-icate. Al-Sayed told AIN that he does not want to get into the charter business because he doesn’t want any conflict of interest with the core task of serving pri-vate owners.

Personalized Cabins“In the past, I’ve spoken with owners

who have told me that they are not happy with their aircraft being managed by companies offering charter because they don’t feel they are really on their own air-craft,” he said.

The managed aircraft carry no Nexus branding, beyond a log in the flight oper-ations manual, and the company prides itself on going to great lengths to person-alize the cabins to match the preferences of each owner.

This includes features such as unique crew uniforms for each aircraft and spe-cially developed perfumes from London-based specialist Floris.

In many cases, Nexus recruits pilots for the aircraft it operates on behalf of owners. It is also now providing flight support for airlines such as Cebu Pacific of the Philippines and India’s Spice Jet, as well as arranging aircraft-delivery flights for carriers.

Providing flight support and aircraft management has quickly proved to be a strong business foundation for Nexus, but it also sees opportunities in address-ing the clear need in regions such as the Middle East and Africa to provide train-ing and safety audits. In its home mar-ket of Saudi Arabia this has coincided with a changing government policy that places a greater emphasis on training local citizens in the country, rather than being dependent on expatriate expertise and overseas training.

Through a partnership with Flight Safety International, Nexus has gradu-ated around 30 flight dispatchers after conducting courses in Saudi Arabia with the U.S. training group’s own instruc-tors. Earlier this year, Nexus signed an

agreement with Arizona-based Ser-viceElements International for it to pro-vide courses in Africa and the Middle East covering organizational resource manage-ment and other customer service-focused skills. These new courses are expected to get under way in 2013.

“We are now seeing real growth in

the Middle East, India and Africa… Where there is difficulty, there is oppor-tunity,” concluded Al-Sayed. “These are tough markets but they will change. We are already seeing this in Saudi Arabia where economic change has forced the government to change regulations and be more open.” o

Nexus provides comprehensive flight operations support, employing purpose-developed software based on the AIMS system used by airlines such as Etihad and Gulf Air.

APPLYING THE CROWNING TOUCH ON A KING AIR

One last wipe ensures that this Hawker Beechcraft King Air 250 is ready for today’s static park visitors. The 250 model is parked alongside its little brother King Air 90 and senior sibling King Air 350i. They are joined by nearly 30 more aircraft on display.

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Pg-47_d1_v6NEW.indd 1 12/10/12 6:48 PM

INTRODUCING THE FALCON 2000LXS

Find out why. Scan the code.Or visit falconjet.com/2000LXS

DNA. It Matters.

It is the ultimate combination of nonstop range, airfield agility and widebody cabin. No other 4,000 nm aircraft can deliver so many airports in such quiet comfort. Thank optimized aerodynamics, new inboard slats and highly advanced acoustics. Thank Falcon DNA. And go where others can’t.

Go Where Others Can’t.

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meba convention news 12-11-12 issue

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