Manufacturers and analysts agree that recent years have seen a vigorous increase in business aircraft operations in the Middle East and that the region is generating strong demand, even with other parts of the global economy stalled. However, detailed projections of this growth and the size of the current and predicted future fleets vary. According to Middle East Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) founding chairman Ali Al Naqbi, the number of private aircraft operated in the Arab world will increase from around 450 today to 1,300 by 2020, with the addition of roughly 800 units over the next 10 years.
By contrast, Canadian business jet manufacturer Bombardier Aerospace said a a total of only 450 aircraft will be delivered in the period, taking the regional total to 730 aircraft at a compound annual growth rate of about 8 percent. In the next five years, the Middle East and selected African regions will account for about 4 percent of the projected more than 5,000 new aircraft-that is, approximately 200 units-needed for "traditional corporate and charter operator base," said Honeywell. In its latest market forecast, published in October, the engine and avionics manufacturer sees "high" confidence in intermediate- and long-term Middle Eastern economic growth. This will boost interest in larger, longer-range aircraft with better operating economics, said Honeywell, with more than 45 percent of prospective new Middle Eastern customers principally looking for greater range (Booth No. C638). About one in four operators surveyed are looking to replace older aircraft, while more than 20 percent cite requirements for greater speed or larger cabins.
