Prestige jet looks to cement position as one of region's leading private aviation companies
The emirate of Abu Dhabi is rapidly emerging from the shadows of its neighbour to become one of the world's most dynamic business and leisure destinations, as well as a regional aviation hub. As it does, so Prestige Jet, based in the UAE capital, is cementing its position as a leading private aviation company.
The company currently operates five aircraft and the figure is planned to grow to more than double by the beginning of 2009. Discussions are currently underway with manufacturers and third party suppliers to identify the best available aircraft to meet the specific needs of the fast growing Middle East market.
Managing Director Faris Deeb also reveals that investment for Prestige Jet isn't only confined to aircraft, and a multi –million dollar investment programme in facilities and services is concurrently underway.
"In April we unveiled a new dedicated passenger lounge within Al Bateen City Airport," he said. "The luxurious facility will further enhance the travel experience of our fast growing customer base."
The discreet lounge and apron facilities will provide ultimate luxury combined with a high degree of privacy, flexibility and easy access to the aircraft.
"We understand that truly luxurious travel is relaxed travel, offering a sense of ease and plenty of pampering," adds Deeb. "This new terminal will provide an exclusive enclave for passengers.
"We already offer our guests a competitive and convenient departure point in Al Bateen City Airport, which is a short drive from the heart of the capital compared to the journey to the international airport. Now we have added this elegant new Arabic-style facility, which offers luxuriously appointed features, including dedicated in-house customs and immigration processing, state of the art security, five-star lounge accommodation, a private meeting room and high and full business centre capability including high speed internet service."
The Middle East Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) states that the business jet market is still in its infancy. However, it is growing rapidly and showing no signs of letting up. In the late 1990s there were only one or two private jet operators in the entire region, but today there are more than 20, and the organisations forecasts the number is likely to double by 2010.
Prestige Jet aims to maintain its prominent position among all these emerging companies, even though it is one of the youngest, having been established just last year.
Deeb says the company has enjoyed exceptional growth in its first year and in particular the first quarter of 2008 where utilization of the airline's fleet of four dedicated aircraft is on average running at 30 per cent above target. He says to maintain the ultimate jet charter experience; the company's client service standards must exceed those of others in the industry.
"We are now well placed to compete with world's best private air charter services in a fast-growing and highly competitive market with a growing fleet, committed investment in product and service enhancements such as the new lounge and other ground services," he said.
He identifies a variety of reasons for the growth in the business, including safety concerns, airport delays, and lack of high frequency routes.
"Unlike Europe, where there are many cities that offer daily flights between them each day, there are very few high frequency routes in the Gulf, especially non-stops, making it very difficult to fly in and out of a destination on the same day,' he said.
"This is increasingly being recognised by corporates and the use of private jets for business travel is another one of our fastest growing sectors," he adds." Similarly there are other niche markets and we will be selecting our new aircraft to fill those niches, facilitating the best options for both our customers in terms of pricing and for ourselves in terms of operating costs."
One such niche is medical evacuations and at the end of 2007 Prestige Jet signed an agreement with Flight Ambulance International (FAI), a world leader in medical evacuation and repatriation services. Under the terms of the agreement, Prestige Jet is the exclusive representative for FAI in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain and offers a worldwide air ambulance service for patients, to transport them between the two cities and any destination in the world.
