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Dubai flights: Demand for private jets to Doha surges ahead of Fifa World Cup

DC Aviation Al-Futtaim sees spike in requests for private jets to Doha as football fever kicks in

Published: Tue 2 Aug 2022, 11:35 AM

Updated: Tue 2 Aug 2022, 10:42 PM

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DC Aviation Al-Futtaim (DCAF), a joint venture between Stuttgart based DC Aviation GmbH and Dubai-based privately owned UAE business conglomerate Al-Futtaim, on Tuesday said there is a spike in requests for private jets to Doha as football fever kicks in ahead of this year’s Fifa World Cup in Qatar.

In order to cater to the rising demand, the joint venture will offer special charter flights from Dubai to soccer fans to head to Doha and support their teams. The round-trip charter flights to the biggest sporting spectacle in the world will offer UAE-based fans a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see their favourite team in action.

DCAF will make available aircraft ranging from the very light and affordable four-seater Cessna Citation Mustang to the light jet eight-seater Pilatus PC-12, the midsize jet nine-seater Bombardier Challenger 604. In addition, DCAF will also be able to offer a 10-seater Falcon 2000 as well as large-size cabin aircraft.

“We have seen a sharp increase in enquiries for the later stages of the tournament from the first week of December until the finals which take place on December 18 at the 80,000-capacity Lusail Stadium. We are closely monitoring the level of enquiries and are well prepared with our offering,” said Holger Ostheimer, managing director of DC Aviation Al-Futtaim.

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Latest industry data indicates that airfares from the UAE to Qatar have skyrocketed ahead of the mega event due to the strong demand as economy class fares jumping by nearly 1,900 per cent. One-way economy class airfare, which starts from as low as Dh360 on May 25, climbed to Dh7,110 on November 20, a day ahead of the start of the mega event, according to the travel agents.

DCAF’s special charter flights can accommodate varying group sizes from individuals, families, groups of friends or corporates looking to entertain their VVIP clients and partners and arrive in Doha for the matches in style.

The Fifa World Cup is scheduled to be held from November 21 to December 18. It’s expected that travel between Qatar and the UAE, especially from Dubai, will pick up substantially during the event.

Currently, the UAE carriers flydubai, Etihad and Air Arabia and Qatar’s national carrier Qatar Airways operate flights between the two Gulf countries.

— muzaffarrizvi@khaleejtimes.com



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