Light jet trend unlikely to take off in Middle East for some time

The budget private jet concept is unlikely to take off in the Middle East in the next decade, an industry expert has claimed.

The civil aviation industry's resistance to light jet operation and several cultural restrictions are the main barriers to air taxis being operated in this region, according to Middle East Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) president and CEO, Ammar Balkar: "For the Very Light Jet (VLJ) to be introduced, will take some time, because there are certain issues related to this market," he said.

"First of all, it's a single pilot aircraft, which is not accepted by civil aviation - and insurance companies for that matter - in this region.

"There are cultural issues; if you have three or four people crammed into a confined space in a small jet, it would not be accepted by many travellers in this region, particularly if the passengers were a mix of male and female."

Balkar was speaking after it was revealed that Florida-based DayJet Corp would launch an air taxi service operated by an executive jet for business travellers on a budget. Its goal is to make convenient corporate jet travel, which is currently the mode of transport for the ultra-rich only - more affordable and hence more widely available to the general public.

A new breed of planes known as Very Light Jets (VLJs), which are cheaper and more fuel-efficient than traditional corporate jets is making this mass market approach possible.

"There is no doubt this will eventually change the way people fly and ensure that private jets are not limited to High Net Worth Individuals only," said Balkar. "But I don't think we'll see VLJs here for at least another 10 years."

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