Abu Dhabi Aviation (ADA), the largest commercial helicopter operator in the Middle East, has signed an exclusive distributorship agreement with Aeromot, Brazilian aircraft manufacturing company.

The agreement gives Abu Dhabi Aviation the marketing rights of Aeromot’s complete range of motorised glider aircraft in the Middle East and the Far East, with the exception of China and Japan, an ADA statement said.

The deal was signed between Nadir Al Hammadi, Abu Dhabi Aviation’s managing director, Claudio B. Viána, president and co-founder of Aeromot, at Abu Dhabi Aviation’s headquarters in the UAE capital.

Hammadi described the deal as a strategic step for ADA towards realizing its ambition of becoming a global aviation enterprise.

'This will greatly allow the company to further tap the high potential aviation zones in the Middle East like Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, Qatar,' he noted.

For Aeromot the deal adds Middle East and Far East to a long list of countries that are its loyal aircraft consumers including US, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Belgium, Australia, Japan, Argentina, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic.

The company described Middle East as high potential market for their product portfolio, particularly as the aircrafts can be easily used in both civil and the defence areas.

The partnership gives Aeromot a greater leverage as Abu Dhabi Aviation has a well established presence in the region and is well connected within the government and the private sector.

An ADA official revealed that an UAE governmental agency is already in advanced stages of negotiation for the purchase of two Aeromot aircrafts. ADA expects the delivery of its demonstrator aircraft, an AMT 200S – Super Ximango “S”, later in 2009.

Al Tariq Al Ameri, Abu Dhabi Aviation’s Powered Glider Project manager said the aircraft appeals to a broad segment of the aviation market.

'Aeromot is a reputed name in the field of aircraft manufacturing and aeronautical engineering and the deal adds diversity to Abu Dhabi Aviation’s existing product portfolio,' he noted.

'The Aeromot series of aircraft are certified by civil aviation authorities around the world and many of these gliders are in use by both recreational and governmental agencies. The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority allows civil certification for private use,” Al Ameri added.-TradeArabia News Service