November 17, 2008 November 16, 2008

November 17, 2008

ImperialJet adding more jets to fleet

By Stephen Pope

Beirut-based ImperialJet plans to add airplanes to its charter and management fleet at an impressive rate in the next six months as the three-year old company seeks to grow its Middle East client base. The firm took delivery recently of two new Learjet 60XR models and plans to add two more 60XRs and three Challenger 850s in the coming months.
The aircraft join a fleet that includes a Boein more

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Prestige Jet’s rapid growth continues

By Ian Sheppard

Prestige Jet, the Abu Dhabi-headquartered business aircraft charter operator that operates from the newly named Abu Dhabi City Airport, announced at the show yesterday that it would become part of a new wide-ranging holding company, Prestige Holding. As well as Prestige Jet, the existing charter operation, the holding company will have five other subsidiary companies–Prestige Invest, Prestige Je more

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Rayajet grows fleet

By Stephen Pope

Jordanian charter operator Rayajet has placed firm orders with Bombardier for a Challenger 300 and one of the larger Challenger 605s. Today it plans to announce a strategic alliance with Ayla Aviation Academy, a flight-training provider based in Aqaba, Jordan. The new airplanes will join a Challenger 601 RayaJet currently operates for Middle East clients.
Under its agreement with Ayla Avia more

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Royal Jet awaits price drop before buying more jets

By R. Randall Padfield

Although there was some expectation that VIP charter operator Royal Jet of Abu Dhabi would announce new firm orders for aircraft here at MEBA, Shane O’Hare, president and CEO, said yesterday that the company expects to make acquisitions in possibly six to 12 months. His reasoning is that the inventory of preowned business jets is increasing, bringing prices down on even good-quality aircraft, an more

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Dubai operator joins charter empty-legger

By Charles Alcock

Empty-leg charter specialist Lunajets has launched a new partnership with Dubai-based operator Empire Aviation Group (EAG). The deal, signed here at the MEBA show yesterday, will allow EAG to market empty-leg flights through Lunajets, which is targeting first- and business-class airline passengers who may not yet have tried executive charter.
Lunajets claims to have more than 1,500 members more

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Phoenix CRJ gets sales kick here at MEBA

By Brian Walters

The Egyptian actor and martial arts professional Yousef Mansour is expected at MEBA today to sign a contract at the Action Aviation Outdoor Stand 5 for a Project Phoenix CRJ aircraft. The 50-seat Bombardier CRJ200 regional airliner has been extensively converted to a long-range executive jet role. It seats up to 12 passengers in VIP configuration and will be based in Cairo.
Scheduled for d more

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Dubai commits to bizav at Al Maktoum Airport

By Ian Sheppard

Dubai Airports unveiled the new branding of its Executive Flights Centre during the first day at MEBA, and also revealed that part of the first terminal being built at the new Al Maktoum International Airport at Jebel Ali (also known as Dubai World Central) will be reserved for corporate aviation.
“Today we have unveiled our new logo and identity for what is a significant part of our bus more

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Middle East Dominates Boeing’s Bizjet Orders

Boeing has revealed just how dominant the Middle East is in its executive aircraft order book. If the fact that 33 percent of Boeing’s total orders is emanating from the region is not impressive enough, how about the U.S. airframer’s statement that “all of the current orders for 747-8 VIPs and 70 percent of orders for the larger, longer range BBJ2s and BBJ3s are for Middle Eastern customers? more

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DC Aviation and Al-Futtaim in Joint Venture

German executive charter operator DC Aviation has signed a joint-venture agreement with Dubai-based Al-Futtaim group to start a new business aviation operation to serve the high-end Middle East market. Al-Futtaim is structured into seven divisions: automotive, engineering, electronics and technology, retail, financial services, general services, real estate and joint ventures.
The venture more

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Europeans Partner with Elite Aviation

Real Executive is to start a new venture in the United Arab Emirates based at the City Airport Abu Dhabi. There it will be partnered with Elite Aviation and initially draw on the existing fleet comprising a Challenger 601 and Falcon 900EX Easy. These will shortly be joined by a Global Express and Gulfstream 200 and there are plans to add a Gulfstream 150 in January.
The operation will be more

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