AeroBD | The AERO news Company…Dubai, UAE, Nov. 10, 2015 :

• A fifth of the business aviation fleet in Lebanon is up for sale
• Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE account for 61% of all business aircraft in the Middle East
• However, 73% of all aircraft currently up for sale in the region are based in these three countries

New research from Gama Aviation plc, the global aviation services company, reveals that 10% of the Middle East’s business aviation fleet is currently up for sale.  Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE have 61% of all business aircraft in the region, and account 73% of those currently up for sale there. Individually, 16% of the UAE’s business aircraft are for sale, and the corresponding figures for Saudi Arabia and Turkey are 13% and 7% respectively.

Proportion of Middle Eastern business aviation fleet listed for sale

Martin Ringrose, Gama Aviation’s managing director for the Middle East region, commented: “Long term, we expect the number of business aircraft operating in the Middle East to increase – indeed around 22% of the region’s current fleet were delivered between 2010 and 2014.

“The Middle East’s landmass is around 90% of that of the US, and it has a population of 351 million people – some 32 million more than the US.  However, the States has over 22,000 more business aircraft, and this shows the huge potential for the Middle East business jet market.”

“The Middle East also has one of the youngest fleets of all international regions, with business aircraft 15 years old on average, compared to 23 for the world as a whole.  This is another indication of strong potential growth prospects.”

To capitalise on the current opportunities in the Middle East and its strong prospects for growth, Gama Aviation has recently acquired additional aircraft parking space for its operations at Sharjah International Airport in the UAE.  It has also reduced its basic handling prices there by 20%. This ensures that the Sharjah FBO, just 30 minutes from Downtown Dubai is extremely competitive when compared to similar offerings in the region, notably Dubai South (60+ minutes away from Downtown Dubai).

This reduction in costs is just one part of a global review of Gama Aviation’s contracts across all areas of its operations. Due to its increased size following its merger with Hangar8 plc in January this year, the company is able to make considerable costs savings and pass these on to the benefit of its customers. Gama Aviation offers a wide range of services at its operations at Sharjah International Airport including line maintenance, which has been approved by EASA, FAA and UAE GCAA.

Gama Aviation is exhibiting at The Dubai Air Show after its listing on the London Stock Exhange.  Plesae visit chalet B16 at The Dubai Air Show, which runs from 8^th  – 12^th November 2015.