New research from Gama Aviation plc, reveals that 56% of the Middle East's fleet of business aircraft are classified as medium to heavy and 14% as business jet airliners.
The corresponding figures for the global fleet are 30% and 0.3%.
Gama Aviation’s research reveals that there are some 794 business aircraft in the Middle East, and one in five of these (161) were delivered between 2011 and 2015.
Martin Ringrose, Gama Aviation’s managing director for the Middle East region, commented: “The Middle East business aviation market is growing, and as a global business, it’s one of our major focus areas.
We have been operating in the Middle East since 2006, and last year we announced that we will be expanding our operations at Sharjah International Airport in the UAE.”
With the support of Sharjah Airport Authority, it has acquired additional aircraft parking space to meet the growing demand it is experiencing for business aviation (particularly BBJs) at the airport, and from across the region. As part of the agreement, Gama Aviation’s fixed base operation (FBO) and maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) teams will also be personally supervising the business aircraft left in their care, ensuring clients receive the highest possible levels of service.
Gama Aviation’s research reveals that Saudi Arabia has the biggest fleet of business aircraft in the Middle East, with 187 (23.6% of the region’s total), followed by Turkey (157 and 19.8%) and the UAE (131 and 16.5%). These three countries also accounted for 69% of all business aircraft deliveries between 2011 and 2015.
|
Country |
Business aircraft fleet size |
Market share |
Share of fleet comprising medium, heavy and airliner jets |
All business aviation deliveries, 2011-2015 |
|
Saudi Arabia |
187 |
23.6% |
74.9% |
43 |
|
Turkey |
157 |
19.8% |
65.0% |
36 |
|
United Arab Emirates |
131 |
16.5% |
73.3% |
32 |
|
Iran |
46 |
5.8% |
56.5% |
1 |
|
Jordan |
30 |
3.8% |
73.3% |
6 |
|
Kuwait |
30 |
3.8% |
93.3% |
5 |
|
Qatar |
28 |
3.5% |
92.9% |
13 |
|
Lebanon |
24 |
3.0% |
70.8% |
3 |
|
Oman |
16 |
2.0% |
93.8% |
8 |
|
Bahrain |
14 |
1.8% |
78.6% |
1 |
|
Rest of the Middle East |
131 |
16.5% |
51.9% |
13 |
|
All Middle East |
794 |
100.0% |
69.4% |
161 |
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