Prestige Jet, Abu Dhabi's young, fast-growing private aviation company, officially started operations after the opening ceremony at Bateen Air Base.

The ceremony was held under the patronage of General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces,

Prestige Jet Chairman Ghaith Ben Hamil Al Ghaith outlined the company's five-year business plan which includes a commitment to providing unrivalled levels of service and an ambitious fleet expansion programme.

He thanked the Government for their support to a national company, 'which is now well placed to compete with world's best private air charter services in a fast-growing and highly competitive market.'

'We are investing heavily in upgrading a number of our aircraft interiors in luxurious style, such as the challenger 604 Versace style which will set them apart from the rest of our competitors. We also aim to grow our fleet and operate nine aircraft by 2009,' he said.

'At the recent Dubai Air Show 2007, where we made our first-ever appearance, generated several new long-term customer contracts, vindicating the decision to make this investment,' he added.

A new Sovereign Citation was added to the fleet during the show, bringing to five the number of aircraft operating out of Abu Dhabi International Airport, Ghaith added.

'Earlier this year we purchased two new Grob Sp aircraft which will be delivered at the end of 2008 and early 2009, and we are also in negotiation for two other aircraft which will bring us to nine.'

He said there was a huge demand for charter services cutting across different customer segments from high net worth individuals to corporates.
 
A report released during the Dubai Air Show said the $500 million Middle East charter market was growing 23 per cent annually over the past two years, with business mainly emanating from Saudi Arabia. The UAE's market is valued at around $176 million.

Ghaith pointed out that medical evacuation was a key growth area for the company and that its air ambulance offering had been recently upgraded through an agreement with Flight Ambulance International (FAI), a world leader in medical evacuation and repatriation services.

Prestige is now the exclusive representative for FAI in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.

'Through this agreement we now offer a worldwide turn key air ambulance service to the highest standard ensuring the comfort and safety of patients seeking or requiring treatment anywhere in the world. More importantly we can meet the standards set by organisations such as the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Services (CAMTS) widely recognised as an industry standard - or the European Aero Medical Institute (EURAMI).-TradeArabia News Service