NEWS
segment in the region is characterised by the number of subsidiaries being launched by the region’s major airlines. For instance, Emirates has introduced its Emirates Executive service, while Qatar Airways has its Qatar Executive and Saudi Airlines has Saudia Private Aviation. The demand is also starting to attract companies off ering some innovative business models, such as X-Jet, which plans to launch a service, covering all aspects of support for individually owned private jets for a fi xed annual fee. “The rise of demand for private travel and related services in the Middle East is what we’ve been witnessing for some time now. While some 25 years ago business aviation in this region was mainly a tool for royal families and presidents, in the last 5 to 10 years the market has seen a major shift to corporate use. People started too see the benefi ts of private air travel as a tool to conduct business, save time and be more fl exible. As a result, most of the aviation market experts are convinced that the greatest business opportunity lies in the corporate, not in the VIP market,” shares Vitalij Kapitonov, CEO of KlasJet. According to MEBAA, currently up to 70% of fl ights
performed on private jets within the Middle East are for business purposes, while luxury travel accounts for the remaining 30%. Nevertheless, high net-worth individuals are still the key drivers of the business aviation growth in the region, and here comfort remains a must, as the costumers are among most demanding clients in the world when it comes to customization and other additional services. Thus, capturing the small but signifi cant patronage of the region’s super rich is becoming increasingly competitive as more private jet charter companies tap into a market that is expected to grow by around 12% in the next two years. However, despite the positive signs, several obstacles are limiting the potential expansion of business aviation operations in the Middle East. “The market in the Middle East has been signifi cantly damaged by a combination of political shocks and the global economic crisis, thus undermining demand from business users and wealthy individuals. As a result, business aviation is still almost non-existent in such countries as Yemen, Syria and Libya. The lack of the skilled labour including pilots, fl ight planners, engineers and air traffi c controllers should be taken into account as well,” shares Kapitonov. According to the executive, other problems to mention
are airport congestion and the use of air space, which is becoming increasingly crowded as the big airlines launch more routes. The situation is further exacerbated by the fact that a large part of airspace is reserved for military use. Removal of these barriers would help to further accelerate the growth of the market in the Middle East. “Of course, such problems are symptoms of success more than anything else. However, if the industry is determined to maintain its current trajectory and reach its full potential in the future, then it will have to fi nd solutions to such issues sooner or later. For now, however, the main focus of the regional
authorities has to remain on quality and safety of operations. With this in regard, opening the market for more certifi ed competition would defi nitely help in keeping the bar high enough,” concludes Kapitonov.
TAAAF SAYS NOW IS THE TIME FOR GOVERNMENT TO ACT The Australian Aviation Associations’ Forum (TAAAF) met in Sydney in November to consider a range of urgent aviation issues. In considering the Government’s performance against
its 12 key aviation election commitments, TAAAF scored the government as having delivered around 40% of its commitments. A key issue noted was the lack of drive and commitment to act urgently on aviation – even judged by the Government’s own promises. In particular, the Forum expressed concern at the lack of a Government response to the Aviation Safety Regulation Review. The Review was seen as a blue-print for the reform of CASA to make it an eff ective, effi cient, fair and trusted regulator. It called on the Minister to respond urgently to the
Forsyth Review, to fi nalize Board appointments to ensure the CASA CEO is supported by a strong Board refl ective of the interests of the industry, and to issue CASA with a new letter of strategic direction under the Civil Aviation Act.
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FAX 865.675.1241 ISO 9001
865.671.2003
11.12 2014
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