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Royal Jet Reports 15pc Increase in Summer Bookings

ABU DHABI — Abu Dhabi-based business airline Royal Jet has received a 15 per cent rise in bookings for the current summer compared to the same period last year.

Disclosing this in a Press release here on Monday, Shane O’Hare, Royal Jet’s President and CEO, said the private aviation industry in the region appeared to be pulling out of the worldwide economic downturn.

“We are finding that there is a trend for our guests to make their bookings much later than what they used to, often leaving this to within two to four days of when they wish to travel. But we are finding that within the GCC there is strong demand – with a steady stream of bookings from Qatar and Saudi Arabia.’’ “In part, this is also down to our new pricing policy that we introduced a few months ago within the Gulf region. Previously we used to calculate our prices based on where the actual aircraft originated from, whereas now we price the charter from where the guests commence their flight. This has led to dramatic reductions in charter rates – sometimes by as much as 20 per cent.” Asked whether the change in pricing policy had impacted the earnings of the Royal Jet, a spokesman for the company said, “Our total revenue has actually gone up, because now we are getting more business.’’

He however declined to give the detailed figures of the increased bookings that the company has received, saying “we don’t usually discuss the specific numbers in this regard.” Shane O’Hare also claimed that there has been an excellent response to the introduction of Royal Jet’s own charter brokerage service, based in Dubai, which started operations six months ago.

“There is especially strong demand for flights into and out of Europe; but with the brokerage being a global service, we can find the right aircraft at the best price for any request for any journey. No matter what the request, we are now able to guarantee availability even if our own aircraft are fully booked, since through our brokerage we can make alternative travel arrangements, sourcing aircraft from other quality operators for our guests.” O’Hare added that Royal Jet’s strategy of diversification into a number of different service offerings has protected the company from the worst of the economic turbulence. Apart from the brokerage service the company has also been branched out into a range of complementary activities including FBO [Fixed Base Operations] facilities, an aircraft management and acquisition consultancy, and medical evacuation services.

· ramavarman@khaleejtimes.ae