The growth in the corporate aviation market in the Middle East is not limited to fixed-wing operators. Helicopters are becoming a major sector, particularly in the UAE, with two new corporate operators entering the field within the past two years to serve the explosive growth in business and tourism.
The market had been owned exclusively by Abu Dhabi Aviation, a fixed- and rotary-wing operator formed in 1976 and catering to both the corporate and oil sectors. But in May 2005, the Dubai government launched Heli-Dubai, a government-owned but independently operated charter operator using two AgustaWestland A109E helicopters.
A third charter operator, Falcon Aviation Services (FAS), based at Abu Dhabi's Bateen airbase, received its air operator's certificate in September last year. FAS is "part of the development of Abu Dhabi", helping it deliver its planned tourism goals, says general manager Philip Markham.
"The tourism market here is a complete virgin and we are working very closely with tourism companies to provide the sort of service they need," says Markham. With a fleet of two A109s, together with a Eurocopter EC135 and EC130, the company wants "strategic partners", he says. One of these is the seven-star Emirates Palace hotel, to which FAS provides VIP shuttles, with hopes to open its own terminal there.
The company, which also holds a two-year contract with the UAE armed forces to provide search-and-rescue services with four dedicated helicopters, intends to broaden into fixed-wing aviation, with a Gulfstream G450 to be delivered in the second quarter of 2008. "By the end of our first year, we will be a $50 million company with eight aircraft," says Markham.
According to Heli-Dubai director of operations Barry Smith, "several factors are feeding the growth of the corporate helicopter industry throughout the UAE" including a highway system that is unable to cope with the growth of the economy. Traffic congestion is becoming "almost as bad as London", he says.
Reduced government restrictions on aircraft ownership and private licences are also increasing the interest in the civil corporate helicopter market.
"People in the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] states are starting to learn about aviation," says Mohammed Humaidan Al Zaabi, general manager of Horizon International Flight Academy. "The demand for flying is growing as the importance of aviation becomes more clear."
Horizon opened in 2003 with a fleet of eight Bell 206s, based at Al Ain airport in Abu Dhabi. It now has 10 206s and in December last year added four Robinson R44s to its training fleet, including one purchased from G&C International, Robinson's new sales and service representative in the Middle East, and three directly from Robinson. "Since starting operations, we have graduated over 125 students from the GCC, most from the UAE," says Al Zaabi.
Source: Flight International
