Private jet business booms amid Mideast unrest

DUBAI: private jets, once toys of the rich, have become a necessity for travelers in the restive Middle East and North Africa, where commercial airlines have reduced flights. Business is booming.

Prohibited by many companies as a luxury, after the global recession, jets - some with gold-plated interiors, rooms and bathrooms - are vital for businessmen, diplomats, politicians and families who want fast, outputs discrete hot spots.

The airspace in the region of the world No. 1 oil export is booming, with passengers to distribute as much as $ 18,000 for a one hour flight on a 18-seater, after protests toppled leaders Tunisia and Egypt this year and the unrest spread to the Gulf States including Bahrain, Yemen, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

"At the height of unrest in Egypt, we were inundated with calls," said Shane O'Hare, President and CEO of Royal Jet, based in Abu Dhabi.

"We had business clients, individuals, families, diplomats and others calling for our service," he said.

The company has received about 20 calls per day, with up to seven trips every two days, compared with only two flights normally the same period in the last two years.

"The crisis is very unfortunate, but it has boosted business for us," said Mark J. Pierotti, Head
COO of Al Jaber Aviation, a charter of Abu Dhabi-based premium business aircraft
service. "We are not back to levels we saw in 2007, but it seems that we can get there soon."

The market for business jets fell sharply in 2009 after five consecutive years of growth as companies cut spending and tighter credit have made purchases difficult, but business is by at least 15 percent since December and the society is inundated with emergency calls, said Pierotti.