November 17, 2008 November 16, 2008

November 17, 2008

Al Jaber’s 21-jet order blitz signals its arrival in bizav elite

Al Jaber Aviation (Stand No. 415) yesterday unveiled details of its entry into the VIP and corporate aviation market and announced a $1.2 billion investment for the acquisition of no fewer than 21 aircraft. The first of its mixed fleet of large-cabin aircraft will enter service in February 2009 and will be based at the AJA initial base at City Airport Abu Dhabi (the former Al Bateen military air b more

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MEBA contracts set Arabian bizav industry alight

By R. Randall Padfield

New business announced on the first day of MEBA 2008 vastly exceeded expectations with fast-approaching $2 billion worth of new aircraft orders announced in just a few hours yesterday. The sales stampede has set MEBA on course to become the true fulcrum for the world’s fastest growing business aviation marketplace.

HE Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, the United Arab Emirates’ Minister of E more

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Saudi 400XP deal boosts Hawker sales

By Stephen Pope

Hawker Beechcraft yesterday inked a deal with Saudi Arabia Airlines for six Hawker 400XP twinjets worth a combined total of about $50 million. Scheduled for delivery next year, the airplanes will join the carrier’s Saudia Private Aviation fleet.The Middle East continues to be a bright spot for Hawker Beechcraft in the face of recent order deferments, an announced 5-percent reduction of the more

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Ocean Sky Scoops Up Dean Aircraft Interiors

UK-based executive charter operator Ocean Sky (Stand No. 632) has acquired Dean Aircraft Interiors for an undisclosed sum. It marks a continuation in the rapid expansion of Ocean Sky, which also has offices in Salzburg, Zurich and Moscow, as well as an FBO at Prestwick International Airport
in Scotland.

Kurosh Tehranchian, CEO of Ocean Sky, has described Manchester-based Dean as a more

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New York Charter Firm Adds S-76 Helo to Fleet

ExcelAire of Ronkonkoma, New York, has added a Sikorsky S-76 to its fleet of business jets, which includes several Gulfstream and Cessna Citation models, Embraer Legacy
600s and others. “For passengers arriving in private jets at our international gateway FBO at Long Island MacArthur Airport in Islip, the S-76 provides for easy helicopter connections to New York City in under 30 minutes,” s more

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EAG Plans Joint Venture in Saudi Arabia

Dubai-based Empire Aviation Group (EAG), founded just last year, is already laying plans for its expansion across the region. The company has appointed a representative sales agent in Qatar and is committed to a joint venture with an unnamed
partner in Saudi Arabia. The new joint-venture company is planned to replicate EAG’s business model and portfolio of services in Dubai, which includes more

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Egypt-based Spot Air Offers Range of Av Services

Cairo-based Spot Air (Stand No. 542) is here at MEBA promoting its many aviation services, including charter brokerage, aircraft management, air ambulance, completions consulting, maintenance, sales and finance.

Established in 2003, Spot Air works with a long list of agents, tour operators and airline clients. In 2007, the Egyptian company reported flying nearly 11,000 passengers on 73 more

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Gates ready to help with safety issues

By by Brian Walters

It is an old but still valid saying that “safety is no accident,” although to Gates Aviation Consulting (Stand No. 227) the subject is rather complex and the company is ready to offer its expertise to business aviation operators and users. Managing partner Ron Lindsay and senior consultant David Saunders can provide plentiful examples of how safety can be overlooked.

Although it is the more

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Fleet of nearly 100 business jets in VistaJet’s grand plan

By Charles Alcock

VistaJet (Stand No. 524) has embarked on an ambitious growth plan that could see it operating a fleet of almost 100 business jets by 2012. The Zurich, Switzerland-based group recently has completed the acquisition of Bombardier’s Skyjet International block charter program and is now running this in tandem with its new Flight Solutions leaseback program for aircraft owners.

According to more

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Emivest Aerospace has lofty plans for SJ30 light business jet program

By R. Randall Padfield

Dubai-based Emivest (Emirates Investment and Development Co.) became the majority (80 percent) shareholder of former Sino Swearingen Aircraft in June when it agreed to pump a minimum of $150 million into the San Antonio, Texas-based aircraft manufacturer to restart and accelerate production of the $7.5 million SJ30 light jet. Last month at the NBAA Convention in Orlando, Florida, it renamed the co more

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