INDUSTRY NEWS Continued from page 19
605 in Sharjah and operate under the auspices of sister company Gulf Wings to offer aircraft management. It will also set up the joint venture Luxury Wings in Bahrain to target the Saudi Arabian market.
TJS and Clear Sky target business from Beirut The TJS and Clear Sky agreement means that a first aircraft, an executive Dornier 328 in a 14 seat configuration will be based in Beirut from June 2009, according to Martin Lener, TJS ceo. “The joint venture will very quickly expand its fleet and will establish operations in other markets in the Middle East to better serve its clients.” It will operate from Beirut in L on under the name of Clearsky – Tyrolean Jet Services (CST). Basil Al-Rahim, president of MerchantBridge International Holdings which owns Clear Sky, says CST will provide its large client base short and long haul charter. “CST will offer charter through its own fleet and third party aircraft and management services in a first phase and maintenance and FBO in a second phase,” he adds. “CST, supported by the experience of its parents, aims to offer more than just convenient and efficient personal transport but a unique suite of quality services encompassing all phases of travel.” Munzer Awaida, who heads up CST, says: “The Middle East, notwithstanding the current
Martin Lener: Middle East plans
Spot Air’s Mohamed Hamed and inflight service manager Walaa Kishk are building business in Europe
challenging global and regional environment, offers some important opportunities in the medium term.” Lener says MerchantBridge has “tremendous experience” in setting up and developing new ventures in the Middle East and Europe. The TJS fleet includes two CJ2s, a Citation VII, three Dornier 328s, one based in Milan, Italy, and a Global Express.
Arab Wings works with Saudi Arabia’s Al-Markazia Arab Wings, which has built a 10strong fleet, is the sister company
of the Royal Jordanian Air Academy and the Queen Noor Civil Aviation Technical College. Ghazaleh says: “International expansion will increase our charter services to businessmen and the medical evacuations as well as aircraft management.” Arab Wings recently signed an agreement with Al-Markazia Central Trade and Auto Company, Lexus dealer in Saudi Arabia to provide limousine chauffeured transport. Egypt’s Spot Air plans to acquire a Hawker 800 later this year for its wholly owned air taxi start-up EU Air. Mohammed Hamed ceo, says Cairo-based EU
Air may look for a second Hawker 800, depending on the success of the operation. “We are now evaluating a couple of aircraft,” he says, adding that the initial Hawker 800 could be used to offer direct flights to European cities including London. EU Air will, however, primarily offer domestic flights in Egypt and services to the Gulf and Middle East region. Hamed meanwhile plans to open an office in London by 1 July to market Spot Air and EU Air’s services to European clients. As well as two Hawker 800s EU Air plans to operate a GIII and an A320-200. “These aircraft will all be based in Egypt and operate in the Middle East but we are well aware of the demand for services into Europe and will be catering for this expanded market,” says Hamed. “We are doing business in Europe already but we expect
Cargo brokers show interest in ‘chartering scheduled’ into Angola EuroCaspian Services Ltd., appointed as cargo sales agent for TAAG-Angola Airlines for the UK, Ireland and North America, is providing a cost-effective way for relatively charter small loads to be shipped into Angola. The company is currently lobbying for the 30% tax levied on cargo charters into Angola to be discontinued or reduced as it does not apply to scheduled services or to an alternative air-sea route. Chairman Sam Harris told Charter Broker: 20 CHARTER BROKER
“We deal mainly with freight forwarders although we have recently received direct enquires from air charter brokers who may also be originators of requests. There is a capability to take 10 or 12 tonnes of charter freight on our scheduled services.” Harris points out that cargoes can also avoid the 30% tax by flying to Point Noire in Congo and then shipping the equipment for oil platforms to Cabinda. Angola is expected to soon become the
biggest oil and gas producer in Africa. Harris says: “With oil and gas production levelling off in other areas, it is Angola that’s seeing remarkable growth at this time. As such, there’s an increased need to move equipment as quickly as possible. Air allows for the fast delivery of equipment and our cargo sales agents keep everything moving swiftly.” A 747 provides services out of Ostend, Belgium, for the transport of oil and gas equipment. JUNE 2009