The Arab Gulf region is witnessing a rapid growth in private aviation, led by Saudi Arabia, and followed by the Emirates and Qatar.
Dubai-based company, Vista Global, which specializes in business travel services, said that the Middle East region maintained its position as one of the company’s top markets, during the first quarter of 2023.
Europe is one of the main destinations for flights departing from the Middle East, starting with France, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. In addition, the most frequent routes for regional flights within the Middle East were between the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
The business travel company said that a number of factors stimulated growth during the last period. Those included an increasing demand from India, and private travel from and to the city of Neom in Saudi Arabia.
Moreover, many international companies are opening their regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia, while the Saudi tourism sector is developing at a rapid pace.
In information sent to Asharq Al-Awsat, Vista Global said that Qatar was witnessing an increasing interest in tourism and business after the World Cup. The UAE, for its part, has become an international travel hub linking East and West.
Vista Global expressed optimism about the outlook for the rest of 2023 and beyond.
“We have witnessed tremendous growth in this vital market,” it said, adding that more and more travelers were seeking the services provided by the company.
The information also revealed that the company has expanded its fleet to meet the growing demand, noting that it added 117 net aircraft in 2022, including 85 through the acquisition of Air Hamburg and Jet Edge, expanding scale in the Middle East, Europe and the US.
Vista Global also indicated that the first quarter of 2023 showed exceptional growth in the Middle East, stressing that the region contributed significantly to the overall global growth of the group. It added that combined flights to Dubai International Airports continue to strengthen the Emirate’s position as the number one destination for the company in the GCC countries.
Sales of the group’s subscription products set all-time records during the first quarter of 2023, registering a 55 percent global increase in total flying hours sold under the VistaJet program.
Chief Commercial Officer for Vista Ian Moore said that the first quarter of 2023 saw record results and ground-breaking progress worldwide, reinforcing the company’s position as a global leader in the industry.
He added that the Middle East has been “a major and growing market for several years now.”
