MEBA10: Avinode sees Middle East charters growing again

More than 6,000 aviation professionals use Avinode daily to buy and sell charter flights worldwide with a growing number in the Middle East.

A significant number of Avinode member companies in the region are less than two years old and many of the marketplace’s European client companies have begun expanding into the Middle East during the last year-and-a-half, the Swedish company said.

Avinode Marketplace data has also shown other indications of a general increase in the Middle Eastern charter aviation market.

Over last year the region has grown to account for an average of five per cent of all global searches and requests, with the majority of traffic either arriving at, or departing from, Dubai International Airport.

Pricing has also registered an increase over last year. At €54,000 per flight, on average, the Middle East has, in general, a significantly higher average than other regional per-flight prices. This is due in part to both the sway that heavy jets hold over the Middle Eastern skies and the longer-than-average flight times for legs to and from airports within the region.

According to Avinode data, heavy jets account for nearly double the requests of mid-size jets in the region, while globally the mid-size and heavy jet markets are statistically even. Flight times to and from airports in the region average about 4.6 hours for their initial passenger leg in comparison to 2.5 hours in Europe and approximately 3.1 hours globally.

“The Middle Eastern market is doing better than last year. At this pace I would estimate another two years before we see a complete return to 2007/08 levels, but it is impossible to predict,” said Ivan Tehaghapsao, head of sales and commercial at Al Jaber Aviation.

Despite the fact that charter rates are still lagging, according to regional experts, there are many indications that the Middle East is picking up steam again. If the business influx continues at the present rate then the region is poised to emerge from the economic downturn as a power player in the global charter aviation market, the Avinode report said.