Aviation Week Show News - November 11, 2007 - (Page 9)

BUSINESS AVIATION D U B A I 2 0 07 Wallan Hitting Cessna Targets In Middle East Wallan Aviation, the Cessna Middle Eastern dealership and service center in Saudi Arabia, has ordered ten six-seat Citation Mustangs with the first due for delivery in February. The first aircraft will be retained as a Middle Eastern demonstrator, while the next two are bound for Lebanon and another for a Saudi customer. The remainThe company received ing six are for Wallan its 14 CFR Part 145 Aviation’s order backRepair Station approval log and its re-branded just two weeks before the Business Wings charter show. “We will start with operation. “Business is C500, C525, C550, C560, very good and growC650 and C680, and later ing,” said CEO Capt. offer full servicing for the Saad Wallan, “We just C750 Citation X,” said delivered two XLS’s Wallan. The facility is and a CJ3 to a custoCapt. Saad Wallan. at Thumama Airport, mer in the UAE and have more orders to announce 14 miles NE of Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport. during the show.” Wallan Buys Diesel Skyhawks Garmin G1000 avionics are becoming available for the Cessna Caravan. From City to Farm, via Caravan The Cessna Caravan is selling well in the region, says Wallan Aviation CEO Capt. Saad Wallan. “An increasing number are using them for short trips to the desert, or 150 to 200 miles to their farm— many business people have farms outside the city.” Cessna Caravans have been fitted with “Oasis” executive interiors including club seating, state-of-the art entertainment offerings, and Cessna-unique selections of leather, fabric and cabinetry. The aircraft will be delivered from next year with a Garmin 1000 glass cockpit as standard fit. The G1000 system integrates primary flight information, navigation, communication, terrain, traffic, weather, and Engine Instrumentation and Crew Alerting System (EICAS). Wallan noted that governments are also showing increased interest for the Caravan for roles such as border patrol and for parachute training. Wallan Aviation has ordered the first 10 Cessna Diesel 172 Skyhawk aircraft for the Middle East, according to company CEO Capt. Saad Wallan. They are powered by the liquid-cooled, 155 hp German Thielert Aircraft diesel engine that can run on Jet-A fuel. The aircraft are also equipped with the Garmin 1000 glass cockpit. Wallan said the aircraft are destined for use by the Saudi Aviation Club, an independent and not for profit, though government backed, flying club being set up at Saudi Arabia’s Thumama Airfield, near Riyadh. The club aims to encourage the general public to participate in aviation activities such as flight training, skydiving, paragliding, paramotoring or flying radio controlled model airplanes, and will be a home base for owner-pilots. Thumama Airfield also houses the Saudi Flight Academy, which will initially issue PPLs and later commercial Airline Transport Pilot Licenses with instrument and multi-engine ratings, and the Wallan Cessna Service Center. The diesel 17s will be used for flight training, and will be available to private pilots on a rental basis. Wallan is with Cessna Aircraft at Chalet A10. Prestige Jet–New Business Aircraft and New Markets Newest kid on the Middle Eastern business jet that as much as 25% of his business could come sentative office in Moscow during the first or charter block is Prestige Jet of Abu Dhabi (part from the Russian market by the end of 2008, and second quarter of 2008 and, depending on demand, of the Al Yasi Group ) which set up operation in he is seriously considering establishing a repre- might base an aircraft there in the 4th quarter. May this year. The same month the Deeb expects to get his first Grob company ordered two Grob SPn light SPn “sometime in 2009,” but wishes jets at EBACE, and became the launch he already had them as he reckons it customer for the type in the Middle is an ideal aircraft for sectors from East. It is also launch customer for Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Cairo, or the Hawker Beechcraft 900XP, and Beirut. “The SPn acts as a light jet airwill have the demonstrator aircraft craft but has all the ingredients of a (N903XP S/N 003) on show here. The mid-size, it has tremendous range for company’s first Challenger 604 is its size and can land anywhere.” He also due to be here, after flying in says that once Grob certifies the airfrom Benson Lund’s completion center craft for 1,000 m rough strips, his at London Southend Airport, and a company sees operations into reYousef Al Ghareeb and Faris Deeb of Prestige Jet with Nicholas McHaffey Citation Sovereign is due for delivery stricted runways in support of oil fields (sales director ExecuJet Middle East) and Niall Olver (CEO ExecuJet on 21st December. Aviation Group, and Grob) signing their agreement for the Grob SPn jets at as a real possibility. “Demand is defiFaris Deeb, Prestige Jet’s MD, says the EBACE show in Geneva earlier this year. nitely there,” he said. —Mike Vines 11 November 11, 2007 www.aviationweek.com/shownews http://www.aviationweek.com/shownews

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Aviation Week Show News - November 11, 2007

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