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Jet business booms despite low oil

Abu Dhabi - GCC proves vital market for business aviation with focus on Falcon 7X.

Despite the economic slowdown and lower oil prices affecting the region, business jet manufacturer Dassault Aviation is witnessing strong interest in its business jets.
The company stated this on the sides of the Abu Dhabi Air Expo, which showed latest jet aircraft .
The show which is part of the first Abu Dhabi Aviation and Aerospace Week  - a biennial event intended to highlight the region's growing aerospace ambitions - and hosted at Al Bateen Executive Airport, concluded on Thursday.
Dozens of local and international companies are displaying their products and services to visitors.
"Despite the economic slowdown and lower oil prices affecting the region, we are continuing to witness strong interest in all our Dassault Falcon business jets, in particular new Falcons in development, the 8X and the 5X very wide body twin," added Dassault Aviation chairman/CEO Eric Trappier.
"The GCC is a vital market for business aviation, with prestigious customers like Saudia Private Aviation, Wallan Aviation and Empire Aviation Group and some of the largest operators of the Falcon 7X," says Dassault Aviation chairman/CEO Eric Trappier. Dassault Aviation is showcasing its top-of-the-line Falcon 7X at the show.
"Many Middle East customers are already showing such a strong interest in the new Falcon 8X, whose cabin design, operating economy and versatility will make it a perfect fit for their exacting business travel requirements."  About 70 Falcon business jets are currently based in the Middle East, including 20 examples of the fast selling 7X, 275 of which have come off the assembly line to date.
The regional fleet includes all current production aircraft, from the Falcon 7X and Falcon 900LX trijets to the Falcon 2000S/LXS series, as well as previous Falcon models. They will be joined later this year by the three-engined Falcon 8X, Dassault's new ultra long-range flagship, now nearing the end of its flight test and certification campaign. However,  the helicopter industry had a cautious outlook for near-term new purchases.
In its 18th annual Turbine-Powered Civil Helicopter Purchase Outlook, Honeywell forecasts 4,300 to 4,800 civilian-use helicopters will be delivered from 2016 to 2020, roughly 400 helicopters lower than the 2015 five-year forecast. "The current global economic situation is causing fleet managers to evaluate new helicopter purchases closely, and that's why we're seeing a more cautious five-year demand projection compared with previous years," said Carey Smith, president, Defense and Space at Honeywell Aerospace."
"Even in a slower growth environment, Honeywell is well-positioned to help operators keep current fleets lasting longer with aftermarket upgrades and repairs."
- haseeb@khaleejtimes.com