Why Khalek doesn't want people lounging around

Most people assume the name Gama is a misspelling of the third letter of the Greek alphabet. Actually it is a jumble of the initials of the first names of founder Marwan Khalek and his mother, father and brother.  

He said: “My family encouraged and supported me (not financially) when I set the business up, which is reflected in the name.” 

He is also proud to be setting up in the UAE. He said: “I was born in the Lebanon and take great pride in bringing something back to the region I came from.”

Khalek came to aviation more than 25 years ago after graduating as an engineer and working in the furniture trade. He learned to fly during his studies and spotted an opportunity to merge his business and aeronautical skills. Along with partner Stephen Wright, he started ferrying livestock around the UK in 1983, operating a Beech Baron. Steady growth and acquisition has seen the company flourish into a global concern, operating three divisions: aircraft charter, service and maintenance, as well as leasing and management.

Key members of Gama’s management team have been in service from between ten to 25 years. Khalek said: “We have to get people who share our belief in and passion for the values of the company. The right attitude is the most important quality.” In return, he feels that he has to repay this commitment by constantly pushing the business forward and helping to develop their skills – a trait he learned from his father. He said: “We have to look after people – progress their careers and support them in difficult situations.”

Khalek’s philosophy is that sustained steady growth that builds on a sound financial base is the glue that has held Gama together. He said: “This industry can be fickle and is cyclical. We have had testing times. It is hard to strike the right balance between steady and aggressive growth. If we are conservative, then could we have done better? But if we are too aggressive we may not be here to tell the tale.”

The Sharjah base is a coup. The airport caters predominantly to airline freight but Khalek said the authorities are recognising the benefit Gama can bring to the apron. The company is building a new maintenance hangar, which it is aiming to have ready by Q3 2011. For the moment it is leasing a hangar and providing line support services in addition to its charter and management offerings. Although there will be a VIP lounge, according to Khalek, this will be most successful if passengers never see it. He said: “We know first hand what we want as operator. We want to get passengers in and out as quickly as possible. We judge successes on our customers who never see the inside of the lounge. It is only a back-up.”

Although Gama has been in business for two-and-a-half decades, it has only recently made headlines. Khalek attributes this to the size of the growth over the last few years. He said: “We have had steady development throughout. When we doubled in size from two to four aircraft that was not newsworthy, but from 30 to 60 aircraft we were perceived as a major player. It was the result of natural progression and now we are opening up geographically.”

He sees the recession as presenting many opportunities and points out that Gama has weathered several economic downturns before. There has been no carefully structured master plan for the business, rather prudent analysis at different stages of the company’s development and an entrepreneurial approach from a close-knit management team. 

There is no doubt that Gama will take its Sharjah base as far as it can. Khalek will also remain deeply involved in his own business, both as controlling shareholder and committed participant. He said: “My father worked 15-20 years  in manufacturing. He has people who work with him in the family business even today. Gama doesn’t stand on ceremony and we are a reasonably sized corporation. We are on first name terms and are a close team and family. I hope to God it stays that way.”