EBACE Show News - May 20, 2008 - (Page 79) MIDDLE EAST AT EBACE EBACE 2008 Royal Jordan Aviation Academy graduated 180 commercial pilots last year. Amman’s Arab Wings for Charter & Training Arab Wings, based in Amman, Jordan, plans a major expansion of its charter fleet as the business aviation boom rolls through the Middle East. The company currently operates a Challenger 604, a King Air 200, two Hawker 800XPs, a recently delivered Gulfstream 450, and a Beech 1900 on long-term lease in Algeria. It will take under management a Cessna CJ1+ in July, a Challenger 605 that it will base in Dubai from October, and a Cessna Sovereign in the middle of next year. An Embraer Phenom 100 and a 300 will be delivered in 2010, and a Global 5000 in 2012. Arab Wings is an executive jet charter company with a difference: it is run alongside a flight training business, and that has created some interesting synergies. For example, the Phenom 100 will be used for executive charter, as well as flight training by Arab Wings’ parent company, the Royal Jordan Aviation Academy. Because the Phenom 100 is certified for single pilot operation, the academy plans to offer graduate students the right seat to build hours in a glass cockpit while the aircraft is on charter. The captain will likely be a senior instructor at the academy, the passengers get two pilots, and the student—who would be a commercial pilot—gets turbine time in his logbook. The Air Academy graduated 180 commercial pilots last year, and is growing by leaps and bounds as the demand for aviation personnel mushrooms in the Middle East (the Academy now has 24 aircraft and three simulators). The Academy owns the Queen Noor Technical College, which teaches all aspects of aerospace services from airport and airline management to security to ticketing, and recently bought 49% of the Fujeira Academy, which trains pilots through to the CPL rating. The combined academy and college has about 1,800 students from 36 countries, including Europe. Arab Wings is at Booth 666. —John Morris Jet & Elite Jets Tighten Ties Jet Aviation (Booth 1147) and Dubai-based Elite Jets (Booth 774), a premium private jet operator established in 2004, have built upon a previous close working relationship and signed a partnership agreement for provision of aircraft management and charter services in the Middle East. Jet Aviation now has one member on the board of directors of Elite Jets and a new director of ground operations based in Dubai, UAE. Elite Jets will provide regional charter services to Jet Aviation customers in the Middle East, while Jet Aviation provides line and unscheduled maintenance services to its fleet of business aircraft; operational assistance in quality, safety and service standards; and conducts recurrent training of all staff and crew members. Elite Jets currently operates a fleet of Cessna Citation CJ3, Hawker 850XP and Bombardier Challenger 604 jets and expects delivery of a new Challenger 605 in September. “Jet Aviation and Elite Jets strategically complement one another and together we will become a major provider of full management services of aircraft based or operated in Dubai, enhancing our position as one of the world leaders in aircraft management,” said André Wall, COO of Jet Aviation EMEA & Asia. Royal Jet is the world’s largest operator of Boeing Business Jets. Royal Jet of the Emirates Boosts Its European Ties Prompted by increasing business travel between Europe and the Middle East, Royal Jet—the largest operator of Boeing Business Jets— has come from Abu Dhabi to EBACE (Booth 2051) as part of a drive to further strengthen its position in the European private aviation charter market. “Abu Dhabi is showing rapid growth and settling its position as a prime business and tourism hub, which will have a major impact on the fortunes of the international aviation market,” said H.E. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, chairman of Royal Jet. “Its 2030 vision includes a $6.8 billion investment to boost airport capacity three-fold to 20 million passengers a year by 2011.” The company provides a complete range of aviation services from VIP charter and ground handling to medical evacuation (Royal Med) and aircraft management. Currently with 12 aircraft, Royal Jet has seen year-on-year growth in the order of 25% to 30% for the past three years and expects that to continue. It is exhibiting here at Booth 2051. Elite will provide charter in the Middle East while Jet does maintenance. www.aviationweek.com/shownews May 20, 2008 79 http://www.aviationweek.com/shownews
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