In 2014, business jet movement is reportedly up 12 per cent over 2013 data. Ali Al Naqbi, the founding Chairman of the Middle East Business Aviation Association (MEBAA), said “There is more traffic to and from Asia, some from Africa and surprisingly, a lot of activity coming to our part of the world from Europe.” MEBA is going to reflect the industry trends and the event is gaining substantial traction in terms of trade visitors and exhibitors. In 2012, the trade visitors were 7,549, a jump of 20 per cent and the total exhibitors increased by 14 per cent (385). The 2014 edition will see 50 aircraft on static display and more than 400 exhibitors, including some of the world’s most influential business aviation players. Now in its sixth edition, the largest business aviation event in the region is expected to attract more than 8,000 visitors.

MEBA is held by the Middle East Business Aviation Association and held under the patronage of Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group.

“To understand the importance of MEBA, you only need to look back at the previous show in 2012 and see how it has helped guide our association,” says Ali Al Naqbi. He continues: “At the show, we listened carefully to the concerns of our members and therefore made significant progress with government and aviation authorities who are beginning to cooperate with one another to implement initiatives such as uniform maintenance approvals.”

Furthermore, the show has continued to promote guidelines and raise awareness to promote the welfare of MEBAA members through training and safety schemes. Most notably, MEBAA and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) have announced a joint initiative to help transform the regulatory environment. Likewise MEBAA has partnered with Kenyon to improve emergency response capabilities that will culminate in a guidance manual for Middle East and North African operators.

Addressing illegal charters

At the same time MEBAA has been lobbying the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) to prioritise and address illegal charter. So MEBA is a show of incredible importance. It provides the regional industry with a platform to address the issues affecting business aviation in the Middle East and North Africa. And the association is always taking note, networking and making the most of the opportunity to integrate with the industry and its stakeholders. Meanwhile, US private and business aviation companies will be looking to benefit from access to the growing Middle East and North Africa (MENA) market at the show.

In a culture where face-to-face meetings mean everything, leading companies including Boeing Business Jets, Gulfstream, Bell Helicopter and Pratt & Whitney are attending the event, being held in the purpose-built venue at DWC, the new aviation city already being dubbed a global aviation industry hub.

Large US Pavilion

There is also a designated US Pavilion, at the heart of the show. The US Pavilion at this year’s edition has nearly doubled in size since the last edition with a wide range of sectors represented.

American exhibitors – over 75 per cent of whom are new to the show – will display a wide variety of offerings for the business jet industry. The US Pavilion will showcase everything from catering services to in-seat massage technology and ground support equipment in almost 350 sq metres of dedicated space on the show floor. These exhibitors are in good company, with a host of US big names already marking their stand space, such as Avpro, Textron Aviation (Beechcraft), JSSI (Jet Support Services Inc) and Rockwell Collins.

The region is a growing market for US aviation companies, with Boeing Business Jets publicly acknowledging that the Middle East accounts for 30 per cent of its business jet sales. “Companies in the know understand this region has one of the world’s fastest growing private and business aviation sectors,” says Ali Al Naqbi.

$1.3 billion regional market

“Statistics for the region’s business aviation sector in 2020 reveal a regional market worth $1.3 billion; 1,75,000 aircraft movements in the region and some 1,200 business aircraft registered across MENA. This is also why, for the second time, the IBAC board meeting will be held the day after the show in Dubai. The message is clear – you need to do business in the region.”

Michele van Akelijen, Managing Director of F&E Aerospace, which organises the event on behalf of MEBA, says: “The US has always had a special relationship with many nations in the region, and the show this year is a chance to further build relationships, meet with your peers and create new relationships. The regional business aviation sector has never seemed so exciting and there is a myriad of opportunities here for the taking.”

She continues: “With hospitality a key facet of any business transaction in the Middle East, corporate hospitality packages in our pavilion are also still available, representing a chance to sit with both regional and global movers and shakers and get down to business in an ideal environment for networking. This exclusive, relaxed, fully-catered area also offers uninterrupted views of the static display.”

Regional players

Regional organisations including first-time exhibitor Alpha Star, an aircraft management and aviation consulting service provider from Saudi Arabia, are taking up nearly 30 per cent of the expanded exhibition space this year.

Also from Saudi Arabia is Saudia Private Aviation (SPA), headquartered in Jeddah, which will be showcasing its top-tier international luxury flight services.

Execujet ME, based in the UAE, provides aircraft management, charter, FBO, maintenance and completions consulting; both Avjet and Execujet are prime examples of international aviation service companies which have developed a strong local presence.

World Fuel Services, based in Dubai, will bring its global fuel logistics expertise to MEBA, offering a full range of aviation fuel, trade credit availability, fuel price risk management, logistical support, fuel quality control and fuel management.

Another exhibitor representing the strong local presence is Cedar Jet Center, part of Middle East Airlines Ground Handling (MEAG). The company is focused on providing the business and general aviation industry with a full range of services, based out of the new General Aviation Terminal at Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport, where it occupies the largest VIP lounge and a 1,800-sq-metre hangar.

Van Akelijen says: “MEBA is looking forward to welcoming a number of new exhibitors as well as familiar faces. We will see some of the world’s largest aviation companies alongside local participants. It is this mix that promises to make MEBA 2014 fascinating and will serve to further drive home the message that we are truly at the heart of the global aviation industry.”

Airbus ACJ

The Airbus ACJ319 will be a highlight at the show. Airbus ACJ319 has the widest and tallest cabin of any business jet, meant for VVIP charter. It features lounge areas at the front, a bedroom with ensuite bathroom and shower in the middle, and business-class seating in the rear, and is certificated for 19 passengers.

“More space in the cabin is desirable for many reasons other than the greater comfort and freedom of movement that it brings,” explains Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers, John Leahy. The desire for a large cabin is one of the findings of Airbus’ ACJ Billionaire Study, announced earlier this year, which highlighted the wish of high net-worth individuals to take with them when they travel, those that look after them at work and at home.

Gulfstream

Trevor Esling, Senior Vice President, Europe, Middle East and Africa, has said that MEBA will be a precursor to some of the exciting events happening at Gulfstream in 2015. One of them is the first flight of the Gulfstream G500, one of two all-new aircraft Gulfstream announced on October 14, 2014 (the other was the Gulfstream G600). The G500 flight-test programme will involve four flight-test aircraft as well as a production demonstrator that it will use to test the interior and assist in the supplemental type certificates for the interior. The G500 is slated to enter service in 2018 followed by the G600 in 2019. We’re also looking forward to the G650ER being in service. The G650ER provides customers with greater mission flexibility and the longest range of any business jet. G650ER owners in Dubai, for example, will be able to reach most of the contiguous United States. The aircraft was certified by the Federal Aviation Administration on October 8, 2014, ahead of schedule, which means the aircraft will enter service later this year.

Dassault Falcon

With its heritage of designing and building sophisticated military fighters, Dassault applied its engineering smarts to the fly-by-wire 7X, the world’s first non-airliner-derived dedicated business jet to feature such envelope-pushing technology. Now other manufacturers are following the lead of Dassault, which was first to demonstrate that a business aviation market exists for the benefits offered by fly-by-wire flight controls. Dassault Falcon will be showcasing its latest capabilities.

Bechcraft

Beechcraft Corporation, a subsidiary of Textron Aviation Inc., has announced that customers now can order a new Beechcraft King Air 250 with a factory-installed modification that increases the maximum takeoff weight from 12,500 pounds to 13,420 pounds, providing 1,025 pounds of payload with full fuel.

“This is an important upgrade that many of our King Air 250 owners have been asking for, especially our special mission operators who want more capacity to carry heavy equipment or operators who want more range with increased passengers and baggage,” said Christi Tannahill, Senior Vice President, Turboprop Aircraft. “Having the option to fill the King Air 250 with full fuel and still get more than 1,000 pounds of payload is a great addition to an airplane that has been exceptionally popular in every corner of the world.”

The modification, developed with CenTex Aerospace Inc. of Waco, Texas, also is an aftermarket option for in-service King Air 250 aircraft and available through Textron Aviation’s factory-owned service centers.

Beechcraft this year celebrates the 50th anniversary of the King Air series as the best-selling business aircraft family in the world. Since 1964, Beechcraft has delivered nearly 7,200 King Airs with the worldwide fleet recently surpassing 60 million flight hours. Building on a reputation of proven performance, the next-generation King Air 250 features composite winglets and lightweight composite propellers, delivering improved runway performance, range, speed and enhanced climb. Passengers travel in quintessential King Air comfort, easily moving about in the spacious square-oval cabin over long-distance journeys. The King Air 250 further defines mission reliability with a ram air recovery system that maintains peak performance when the anti-icing system is activated, resulting in a high-performance, all-weather aircraft.

Cessna

Demonstrating its rank as the maker of the fastest civil aircraft in the world, Cessna Aircraft Company has said that the recently certified Citation X+ has set several city-to-city speed records for its weight class including Seattle to Miami, making the 2,375 nautical mile trip in 4 hours, 52 minutes. Cessna is a subsidiary of Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. company.

“Today’s news provides yet another example of how the Citation X+ meets customers’ need for speed,” says Scott Ernest, President and CEO of Textron Aviation. “Maximising the hours in the day is what business aviation is all about. When you have the opportunity to spend less time in the air and more time in front of your customers, you’re making the choice to invest in winning the market, and the X+ is the perfect aircraft to meet that mission.”

Cessna will be showcasing some of its highly proven aircraft to the Middle East market which is growing rapidly.

Embraer

The significance of Embraer’s rise into the business jet market, first with the airliner-derived Legacy 600, then with the clean-sheet Phenom 100 and 300, is not just that Embraer found niches unfilled by other manufacturers. What Embraer did was force other jet-makers into realising that it was attacking their markets, and now they are fighting back with interesting new models. Meanwhile, Embraer is moving into the super-midsize category with the in-development Legacy 450 and 500, both featuring fly-by-wire flight controls and the latest cockpit and cabin amenities. Embraer has a significant presence in the Middle East.

Bombardier

The Canadian aerospace company is bringing to MEBA 2014 the Challenger 350 and 605, while its customers will be displaying the Global Express BD700 (Amac Aerospace); Challenger 604 (Boutsen Aviation); and the Global 5000 (Qatar Airways; Royal Jet and Comlux Aviation Group).

In a world satisfied by the status quo, Bombardier’s Challenger aircraft family has a history of challenging the expected. The backbone of countless corporate fleets, Challenger aircraft stand for the power of intellect and experience, with a willingness to step out in front of the pack to lead in its class.

Honeywell celebrates 100 years of innovation

This year marks a significant milestone in the history of Honeywell Aerospace as it celebrates 100 years of innovation, dedication and excellence. At MEBA it is highlighting milestones in this journey. “We invite all our customers and partners to help us celebrate this milestone by sending your favourite aviation images to complete our Centenary Instagram Mosaic. Instaprint Mosaics turn event goer’s instagrams into billboard-sized art, all in real-time. Simply tag your aviation images with #AERO100 and #MEBA then visit our special 100 Years Mosaic Display at MEBA to collect your printed photo.”