Falcon Aviation, a leading VIP jet and helicopter service provider based in Abu Dhabi, UAE, today (December 8) broke ground on the Middle East’s first VIP completion centre at Dubai World Central (DWC), the world’s first purpose-built aerotropolis.

Speaking at the ground breaking ceremony held at the sixth Middle East Business Aviation (Meba) exhibition in DWC, Falcon officials said the $80 million facility is scheduled to be completed by the end of next year.

The project brings together nearly 80 years of experience in aviation and engineering. The Falcon Hangar and state of the art completion facility and MRO will be built by consulting architects Arkiplan.

ASI Global has been appointed to design the stressed arch hangar while Mabani Steel will fabricate and erect the steel structure. Leading UAE contractor Al Shafar National Contracting is the builder and main contractor for the project.

Spread across 13,705 sq m, the facility will provide enhanced and customized services to VIP customers and will also feature a state-of-the-art hangar equipped to accommodate up to an Airbus A380.

In addition, it will offer VIP lounges, workshops, offices, and an in-house design studio for its elite clientele, the officials stated.

Falcon Aviation chairman Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahayan said: "We are proud to offer the first facility of its kind in the Middle East. This is a significant achievement - for Falcon, for DWC and for the UAE."

"With the boom of the aviation industry in the Middle East, the opening of such facilities puts the region at the leading edge of aerospace technology. Falcon not only fills a niche in the VIP completion market, providing an exclusive service to aircraft owners and operators in the Middle East, it brings the UAE closer to becoming the global trade hub of the world," he added.

Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the chairman of Dubai Aviation City Corporation (DACC), said: "DWC’s partnership with Falcon is yet another step towards achieving the UAE’s vision. The significance of the project is evident not only in the investment behind it but also the purpose it serves."

"DWC’s Aviation District is ideally placed to host a project of this scale in that it is well equipped with world-class infrastructure and facilities to support the aviation business, whether it is MROs, FBOs, aircraft manufacturing or training, research and development. The Falcon VIP completion centre not only serves to bridge a definite gap in the market but enables us to redefine standards of success in the aviation industry, worldwide,” he added.

Falcon Aviation has partnered with global market leaders for the development of the completion centre including Bombardier, Integrated Aerospace Alliance, CDG and Rockwell Collins.

Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Bin Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahayan, the vice chairman and CEO of Falcon Aviation, said: "Rising competition in the industry and ever-tightening budgets have resulted in a shift in the way aircraft owners and operators are doing business. This is a complex business and we have paid careful attention to assess the needs of our customers."

"Our partnership with DWC is testament to our commitment to providing our customers with the best-in-class facilities and services that will ultimately contribute to the advancement of the aviation industry at large," he added.-TradeArabia News Service