Against a backdrop of stable, single-digit business aviation growth in the region, the Middle East Business Aviation Association Show takes place December 10-12 in Dubai at Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC).
As the MEBAA Show gears up, local aviation businesses and aircraft operators are looking forward to an Expo 2020 dividend at Dubai South, the city’s new aviation district, and hoping that a slow year in Saudi Arabia will see the kingdom turn the corner in the new year.
As the transition to the new airport at DWC continues, with official figures putting its share of business aviation movements at 60 percent compared to 40 percent at Dubai International (DXB) last year, five FBO operators are now active at the new site, while Jet Aviation and ExecuJet also retain an FBO and MRO presence at DXB.
The common-user VIP terminal at DWC is now fully operational, with FBOs run by Jetex Flight Support, Falcon Aviation, and Jet Aviation continuing to build their clientele, while, as first adopter, DC Aviation Al-Futtaim (DCAF) has been operational at an alternative site since 2013. ExecuJet told AIN at the end of October it expected its new FBO-MRO facility to open at DWC in 2020. Construction is to begin shortly,
Earlier this year, the Bombardier Global 7500 fuselage mockup was on display at the VIP business aviation terminal at DWC and appears to be a competitor to the Gulfstream G650 in the region, as OEMs Gulfstream, Bombardier, and Dassault fight it out for Middle East preeminence.
As an important market for super-large and ultra-long-range business jets, the Middle East and North Africa Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) cited Embraer’s NBAA Market Outlook 2018, saying that the Middle East and Asia-Pacific would see annual demand of an average of 100 business jets a year, worth a total of $40 billion over the next decade. In addition, the UAE in particular, anticipates increased private jet movements as a result of Expo 2020.
Business aviation in Saudi Arabia has been slow in the past 12 months due to an anti-corruption crackdown launched in November 2017. Several operators elected to keep their heads down until the crisis blew over, but FBOs in the region say Saudi business is beginning to come back as the cooler weather comes into play. MEBAA participants will be hoping to see progress made on adding hangar space in the kingdom with new investment.
In 2017, there were more than 30,000 private jet flights out of Dubai alone. As the emirate approaches Expo 2020, it is expecting a significant increase in private flights and is already increasing FBO, MRO, and other ancillary services at DWC. “The UAE already hosts around 50,000 ultra-high-net-worth passengers per year, leading to about 30,600 private jet flights out of Dubai in 2017,” according to MEBAA.
“The region is set for growth in business aviation,” said Ali Alnaqbi, founding and executive chairman of MEBAA. “What is fantastic is that the key players globally recognize the MEBAA Show as the biggest platform in the region and will be displaying some of their best offerings at the 2018 event.”
At a press event on October 27, Alnaqbi said he expected 500 exhibitors at the show, 40 to 50 aircraft on static display, including models from Gulfstream, Bombardier, Dassault, and Honda Aircraft, as well as nearly 10,000 event visitors. He expects 70 percent of attendees to travel from outside the region.
MEBAA's claim that the show ranks as one of the largest three business aviation shows in the world is bolstered by Alnaqbi’s assertion that “70 percent of the [world’s] wide-body business jets are based here [in the Middle East],” making it one of the world’s most important markets for OEMs.
MEBAA Show 2018 takes place at the DWC Airshow site. Instead of being run on the eve of the show, as in previous years, at a hotel in Dubai Marina, this year’s MEBAA Conference will take place on the second and third days of the show, December 11-12, at the show site.
A provisional schedule said the conference agenda would include sessions on blockchain, cybersecurity, the potential of supersonic business jets, business-aviation insurance, drones, innovation, passenger connectivity, and the future of private jet design. The conference format will involve two daily sessions between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., instead of one all-day event as previously.
“Of particular interest this year are the new features added to the event, including the aircraft operators’ Executive Club Lounge, an exclusive area dedicated to meetings and networking for those in the sector; a product demonstration theater on the show floor, providing a space for exhibitors to promote their products and services to visitors; and the Jetsetter Welcome Reception, scheduled for late afternoon of the first day,” MEBAA said.
