Business aviation recovery remains strong says Empire

The company,  which manages and operates the Middle East’s largest mixed fleet
of 21 business aircraft said this follows a strong recovery in October-December (Q4)
2009, after charter bookings for the company dropped around 40 per cent
in the first half of 2009.
The Middle East continues to dominate the charter market as the favoured
point of departure to global destinations and also as a destination for
clients, with the trend in the number of enquiries through brokers
rising over the last 12 months, from its lowest level during the
recession at the start of 2009.
Paras Dhamecha, Executive Director , Empire Aviation Group, comments:
“Empire Aviation Group operated charter flights to a variety of global
destinations in January 2010, including the Far East, Africa, Maldives,
South America, Afghanistan/Iraq, and the CIS countries. The number of
enquiries, bookings and the flying hours of our fleet of business jets,
increased significantly in Q4 2009, and 2010 has also started strongly.
This includes a rise in the number of enquiries for ‘block hours’ from
our corporate clients, who are flying similar routes more frequently and
can benefit from advance purchase.” 
According to the company, charter demand is a good indicator of the
health of the overall private aviation sector: “This segment of our
business allows us to showcase our aircraft and the benefits of business
jet ownership,” adds Paras Dhamecha. “Aircraft finance is becoming
easier to obtain again and so the buying option is becoming realistic;
and with aircraft values still depressed, there is an increasingly
attractive opportunity for those seriously considering purchase.”
There are around 45 private business jets operation out of Dubai and
over 500 in the Middle East, mostly in Saudi Arabia under private
ownership for personal use. There is no official charter market value
for the Middle East.
 Paras Dhamecha says: “Our aircraft charter business has remained
positive due to the careful mix of business jets in the fleet that we
manage and operate on behalf of owners. This ensures a wide range of
aircraft options for clients and allows us to consistently generate
charter income for owners, as we manage their valuable assets.”