Ambitions range from operating 48-seat shuttle to offering 200h block contracts
Three of the Middle East's fast-growing business aircraft charter companies have unveiled expansion plans, with a series of orders confirmed at the show.
Saudi Arabia's National Air Services announced deals for three Gulfstream 300s and two Raytheon Hawker 800XPs and plans to acquire a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) or Airbus Corporate Jet (ACJ) for a 48-seat domestic VIP shuttle service aimed at businessmen, sports teams and the leisure charter market.
The service, called Al-Khayala (roughly translated as "knight in shining armour"), will not be able under Saudi law to offer scheduled flights, but chief financial officer Rob DiCastri says it will fill a niche between national airline Saudi Arabian Airlines' first-class service and smaller business jet charter. The Jeddah-based company operates or manages 23 aircraft, including 12 on the NetJets fractional ownership programme.
Bahrain-based Bexair, which plans to expand with two Bombardier Challenger 604s in 2004 and a Cessna Citation - probably an Excel - in 2005, wants to focus on selling block contracts of 200-300h, which vice-president Vincent Kunnanat says offers "fractional ownership without fractional ownership problems". The company, which operates a Challenger 604, a Citation Excel and Citation Bravo, mostly on ad hoc charter, hopes to bring in "six or seven" such deals next year, which would represent about two-thirds of its total hours flown. Saudi Arabian-owned Bexair, which was launched at the last Dubai air show and also offers aircraft management and has an executive terminal in Bahrain, says it will have achieved "net breakeven" once it operates four aircraft.
Royal Jet of Abu Dhabi plans to expand its Royal Med operation with a second medical evacuation-configured Gulfstream 300 in 2004 as its first, which went into service in September, is already at "full capacity" flying 10 missions a month, says chief executive Tilmann Gabriel. The company, which began operations in May, claims to be the only operator in the region to offer a dedicated medevac aircraft; the service is chartered by the United Arab Emirates health ministry and used almost exclusively to take UAE citizens to hospitals in Europe, but Gabriel wants to expand so that 40% of flights are bought by insurance companies paying for emergency repatriations of tourists and expatriate workers.
Royal Jet operates another Gulfstream 300 and a BBJ on charter services and plans to take on a second BBJ and a Gulfstream 200 or Bombardier Challenger 300 next year.
Source: Flight International
