As an association with over 270 members and with 13 years of existence, the Middle East & North Africa Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) will continue to raise awareness about business aviation in the region as the primary goal of the association which will be one of the tasks at the Dubai Airshow 2019.
“We have managed to bring business aviation to the minds of governments. When they are thinking about aviation, business aviation is number one. No plan is happening in any country without accounting for business and private aviation. That’s a huge achievement,” said Ali Alnaqbi, Founding and Executive Chairman of MEBAA, and recently elected Chairman of the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC).
After years of success, the organization will maintain supporting the business aviation community by constant call to companies which are not members already, to join, become a part of a shared vision and grow their business in a safe environment.
At the recently concluded successful workshop on the International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH) and the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) during the MEBAA week in Morocco, one of the MEBAA members, Saudi Private Aviation (SPA), was awarded accreditation of IS-BAH; it includes a set of standards set by IBAC, governing the ground handling of private aviation services. With this, SPA successfully established an effective Safety Management System (SMS) and is on the course to eventually attaining a risk-free safety culture in its aircraft handling. This certificate is a proof of the conformity to key ICAO standards. MEBAA continues to raise safety standards for aircraft handlers and operators and improving operational effectiveness within the MENA region by hosting the ISBAH and ISBAO workshops during the Dubai Airshow. Registration for these workshops in Dubai is open now.
MEBAA’s efforts to promote awareness have resulted in improved access to airports and airspace for business jets. The fleet of aircraft registered in the Middle East and North Africa has grown from 450 to more than 650 aircraft over the last decade. In 2020, MEBAA will host four business aviation events in the region, making 2020 the busiest year in the history of this organization. This way, MEBAA takes the lead in the advancement of business aviation within the region.
The UAE's business and private aviation sector is achieving growth rate of 8-9%, which is higher than the global growth estimated at 4-6%. The volume of sales of business and private jets in the UAE ranges from 2.9 to 3.3 billion yearly. The contribution of this sector to GDP in the UAE, ranges between 2-3%, equivalent to about AED 4.2 billion, emphasizing the importance of business and private aviation in the country.
“MEBAA strives to be the source of information for the business aviation industry, for potential investors, those seeking to enter the MENA market, launch their operation or simply to find out more. The region offers a lot of potential and we are already seeing a lot of interest from many angles” said Alnaqbi.
For anyone seeking advice or information about the business aviation industry in the region, MEBAA will be at the Dubai Airshow, stand No.1220, MEBAA’s specialized personnel will be available to extend warm welcome for anyone visiting us and give guidance on the benefits of the organization.
