DUBAI, 2 February 2007 — Business aviation is becoming more affordable in the Middle East and its growth will lead to considerable job creation in the region, UAE Minister of Economy Sheikha Lubna Al-Qasimi said yesterday.
Delivering the keynote address on the second day of the Middle East Business Aviation (MEBA) conference at Airport Expo Dubai, Al-Qasimi told delegates that “business aviation is really only now coming into its own as a regional industry and there are a number of factors fostering its growth. The need for flexibility outside of commercial airline schedules, the increased ease of access to business aviation facilities, the expertise in business aviation being created in the Middle East by a number of companies, and the changes in cost structure have all made business aviation a more viable sector than it was five or 10 years ago.” Business aviation growth in the UAE, said the minister, signals that the economy is in good shape but, she warned, more are needed to be done to assist the sector’s further development. “Just as in a number of other industries, it’s the regulatory side of the equation that has not been able to keep pace with the technological innovation, which is why countries are still negotiating air service agreements, why landing rights are still an issue hindering industry growth and why lower-cost airlines are not yet serving every market,” she said.
“The regulation around business aviation is still very much a grey area in the Middle East, with increased cooperation required between the civil aviation authorities in each country to ensure that business aviation traffic is not just tolerated, but welcomed and catered for.”
The minister said traffic growth in the business aviation sector in the Emirates is “extremely encouraging with more than 1,200 private flights in the UAE per month at present.”
The two-day MEBA conference also holds an exhibition featuring 90 companies from 20 countries and 31 business associated jets on display. The onsite-declared order book in the show reached some $832 million on the second day with Airbus saying it has won orders worth $580 for two wide-bodied VIP A340 and two A318 corporate aircraft from undisclosed clients and two A320s ordered by the Royal Air Force of Oman.