Soaring high in Dubai

Into the business of hot air balloons, Ness World Wide Services Co. initiated operations in Dubai last year amid the pandemic. CEO Harun Turgut aims at expanding further in 2021.

Harun Turgut, Chief Executive Officer at Ness World Wide Services Co., is a visionary and has more than eight years of experience in the field of civil aviation. Thanks to his keen interest in diversifying business areas, he initiated hot air balloon operations in Dubai. Since September last year, he had successfully established Anadolu Balloon Operation company, located in the Margham Region on Al Ain Road.

Turgut started the hot air balloon business in partnership with the biggest hot air balloon companies from Cappadocia, Turkey. Cappadocia is the main base of eye-catching hot air balloons with more than 100 balloons in the air at the same time at sunrise. He is a part of a company that manages 15 hot air balloons in Cappadocia, in addition to hot air balloon manufacturing, an authorised maintenance centre and a training organisation. So far, Cappadocia has attracted over four million visitors, on whom Cappadocia's historical view and 60 million-year-old cave mansions have left its impression.

With strong connections between Arabic and Turkish culture and history, Turgut has decided to use hot air balloons to show the heritage and exotic nature of Dubai to visitors, at 4,000 feet. He also has partnerships with travel agencies all over the world to help increase the annual number of visitors to Dubai. Thanks to his network in Turkey and Dubai, he is willing to expand hot air balloon tours not only to visitors, but to citizens and residents as well. His company will also be offering personalised private balloon tours, especially for marriage proposals, corporate flights, family tours and group flights for two to eight people.

Turgut's journey into the civil aviation world started in 2013, in Turkey. After earning a renowned degree in international relations and a master of business administration, he worked as a certified civil aviation auditor and instructor for the Civil Aviation Authority of Turkey. In 2019, after six years of experience in the government, he set foot into the private sector in the UAE, where he nurtured and blended his knowledge. Now, he is managing a company serving more than five airports in aviation technologies and software and hot air balloon operations in Cappadocia, Pamukkale and Dubai.

Turgut takes pride in his career with a team of more than 30 people at Ness World Wide Services Co., who consistently deliver the highest standards of quality and have contributed towards the firm's organic growth. Despite the global pandemic that affected businesses, Ness World Wide Services Co. stood beside the aviation sector during their hard period, with technology solutions and continued assistance.

Turgut aims to bring five hot air balloons, with a capacity of 100 people, to the Dubai skies. Next year, he plans to bring five more hot air balloons to give passengers a beautiful view of the Dubai sunrise over the red horizon.