Aviation in the Middle East — An Update

 

Aviation in the Middle East continues to grow rapidly. If you intend to become a pilot and fly for a Middle Eastern Airline, your opportunities are excellent. Just a few example of the latest growth taking place:

 

Dubai International Airport’s number of passengers during August topped four million. This is the sixth time in the last eight months that passenger counts surpassed four million. The year to date traffic reached over 33 million in August, compared to 30 million in August of last year. Dubai International Airport expects to meet their projections for 51 million passengers for the year.

 

Royal Jet, a private/corporate aircraft operation, based in Abu Dhabi, has announced it intends to acquire 10 to 12 wide-bodied corporate jets by 2015. Their existing fleet is mostly Boeing luxury jets, so the company intends to purchase more Boeing aircraft to add to its fleet. Royal Jet’s business in Saudi Arabia alone increased 15% last year. The company’s core offerings are VIP aircraft charter, medical evacuation services, and charter brokerage.

 

The research company, Frost and Sullivan, predicted that the number of business jets to be delivered in the Middle East will be approximately 458 by 2018, with the business jets to be delivered just to Saudi Arabia will be about 154.

 

Just last month Royal Jordanian Airlines received its second Airbus A320. Part of its medium-haul fleet modernization, six of its current and older Airbus A320s will be replaced with seven new ones of the same model. They will all be delivered to the airline this year and in 2012. Royal Jordanian (RJ) flies a total of 13 aircraft in the A320 family of models. The RJ fleet, which consists of 32 aircraft, is one of the youngest and therefore most eco-friendly and most fuel-efficient fleets in the world.

 

Royal Brunei Airlines (RBA) is adding another Airbus A320 to its fleet, it was just announced. This is part of the airline’s strategy to focus more on short-haul operations.  However, the  carrier also currently has six Boeing 777s, and five 787-8s on order.  RBA says that even though it will stop flying to Auckland, Brisbane, Perth and Ho Chi Minh city, other long-haul services will continue because the cargo space on the large aircraft is important for transporting goods to and from Brunei.