Deals worth $1.5 billion underline the importance of a region where business aviation is expected to grow by 25% a year
A commitment for six Airbus and eight Embraer business jets by a relatively new name, Abu Dhabi's Al Jaber Group, headlined a package of aircraft deals worth almost $1.5 billion.
With almost all the sales at the top end of the market, MEBA reinforced the importance of the region to the industry's prospects as economic uncertainties in the rest of the world put pressure on order books and margins.
Al Jaber, which is setting up a VIP charter operation branded AJA, signed for four Airbus A318 Elites, two A319-based Airbus Corporate Jetliners, four Embraer Legacy 500s and four 450s. They will join five Embraer Lineage 1000s and two Legacy 600s ordered from the Brazilian airframer at last year's Dubai air show.
AJA, which will have bases in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, will begin operations in February with aircraft delivered over the next five years. Chairman Mohammed Al Jaber expects regional demand for business aviation to keep expanding by 25% a year. "The breathtaking economic growth over the past decade in the Middle East has created a sizeable business aviation market," he says.
Other deals included an Airbus A320 Prestige to Swiss charter and completions specialist Comlux - the world's largest operator of Airbus business jets - and six Hawker 400XPs to Saudi Arabian Airlines. They will be operated by the flag-carrier's new corporate arm, Saudia Private Aviation.
Other commitments included a Bombardier Challenger 605 to Arab Wings of Jordan and a Hawker 850 to Executive Aero Services of Lebanon. Jordan's Raya Jet ordered a Challenger 605 to replace its 601.
Business jet conversions from used regional aircraft are also growing in popularity in the Gulf, with no fewer than four refurbished Bombardier CRJ200s on display at MEBA.
Canadian completions group Project Phoenix, via its Middle Eastern distributor Action Aviation, sold a CRJ200 to Egyptian film star and producer Yousef Mansour. He will use the 12-seater, which will be based in Cairo and managed by ExecuJet, to fly film crews between locations.
Source: Flight International
