The use of corporate jets among CEOs is making a comeback in MENA, according to a leading operator. Over the last five years, the financial crisis saw corporations in the region curtailing their expenditure on luxury aviation travel, but now, Private Jet Charter is noticing a staggering rise in demand. The independent private jet consultants say that although the percentage of CEOs using private jets has now reached a total of 10 percent, this number is just the beginning and we will see more CEOs opting for this form of transportation in the upcoming years. “This trend is gaining greater momentum in MENA because of the upgraded civil aviation infrastructure with improved services for private jets,” said Ross Kelly, Managing Director for MENA, PJC. “We expect private jet travel to gain acceleration over the next five years as a result of an economic rebound in the region and greater interconnectivity amongst GCC countries.” A review of Federal Aviation Administration flight records revealed that dozens of jets operated by publicly traded corporations made over 30 percent of their trips to or from resort destinations. “In MENA, nearly 10 percent of trips of CEOs are personal, while the rest are of business nature,” he said. “Some CEOs in other parts of the world use private planes like personal taxis and this trend is coming to the MENA in a dramatic fashion.”
