MEBA Convention News
PUBLICATIONS Tuesday 12.11.12 DUBAI
®
Vol. 45 No. 33
www.ainonline.com
NEW AIRPORT, NEW VENUE, NEW MEBA
PHOTOS: DAVID McINTOSH
As Dubai grows, business aviation grows. So where better to have the fifth Middle East Business Aviation event than at the new Al Maktoum International Airport? More than 7,000 trade visitors, 385 exhibiting companies and more than 45 aircraft made the journey across the desert to participate.
MEBA conference tackles gray market, bizav’s profile by Peter Shaw-Smith The evils posed by the gray market, the disconnect between regional operators and regulators as they attempt to curb it, and the problem of perception for business aviation in the Middle East, dominated the discussion at the second biennial MEBA
Conference (MEBAC), which convened at the Dubai Marina on the eve of the show. The region is still grappling with how to tackle the scourge of the gray market, in which an aircraft operates
Continued on page 45 u
Airbus launches Gala cabin by David Donald Airbus Corporate Jets is launching its new Gala cabin concept for the ACJ330/340 widebodies here at MEBA 2012. The choice of Dubai for the announcement should come as no surprise: the Middle East represents the most important market in the world for widebody business and VIP aircraft.
Airbus Corporate Jets is seeing renewed interest in the widebody sector and has launched Gala in response. The concept is applicable to A330 and A340 aircraft, which share a common basic structure, with the cabins between doors two and three being essentially identical. In this
Continued on page 45 u
Airports
Fixed-base operations
Business aircraft
Fixed Base Operators
Engine technology
Cautiously forward for DWC
Kingdom’s largest FBO
HyperMach ups SSBJ spec
Fujairah eyes VIP operators
Silvercrest testing gathers pace
Global recession may have slowed construction of Dubai World Central, but the plans for a five-runway airport remain in place, and the facility is growing in capacity and traffic. Page 6
Saudia Private Aviation, the business jet division of the Saudi national airline, is preparing to open a new FBO at Jeddah to meet increasing demand as the nation’s economy booms. Page 12
One of a number of companies working on a supersonic business jet for the future, HyperMach has recently redesigned its SonicStar aircraft, raising the top speed to Mach 4.5. Page 16
Another of the UAE’s seven emirates joins the race for business aviation’s attention, drawing on its strong links with the oil & gas and shipping sectors. Page 23
Snecma began testing its new Silvercrest engine in September. Intended for the Cessna Longitude, it might also power the eagerly anticipated Dassault Falcon SMS. Page 36