Private jet charter services from Empire Aviation, Dnata Travel

4 April, 2008:

Empire Aviation Group, the Dubai-based private aviation company, and Luxury Air Travel by Dnata, the recently launched division of Dnata Travel Services, have signed an agreement confirming Empire Aviation Group as a preferred provider of executive jet charter services.

Under the terms of the new agreement, the company will market and sell the private jet charter services of Empire Aviation Group. To support this new deal, Luxury Air Travel by Dnata is including complimentary limousine transfers with every Empire Aviation charter booked. The agreement reflects the strong growth in demand for the privacy, comfort and convenience of private air charter services within the region, within both the corporate and leisure travel segments.

According to MEBAA (Middle East Business Aviation Association), the Middle East charter market has grown at 10-15 percent per annum in the last two-three years and is now estimated to be worth around US$ 500 million annually. IATA forecasts predict the Middle East will be the fastest growing region for international traffic over the next few years, with increases expected to be around 7 percent annually, well ahead of the world average of 4.8 percent.

"The agreement with Dnata’s new luxury air travel division is well timed and matches our rapidly developing luxury charter services with the operational reach and outstanding reputation of Dnata, as the regional market develops with greater demand for and access to private air travel,” Paras Dhamecha, CEO of Empire Aviation Group, said

He added that “operating successfully in the private charter market requires a very high level of customer service and the care and attention to detail that allows us to deliver a 5-star travel experience on every flight for discerning customers. Luxury charter goes well beyond the provision and management of a private jet and can encompass everything from transfers and hotels, to the personal selection of a VIP menu with silver service, to onboard entertainment. This combines with the ultimate convenience of the customer’s selection of destination, route and timetable, through private air terminals, to create a very special experience. Every charter flight is a unique service product and demands the operational and service resources and skills to create this, sometimes with as little as three hours’ notice”.

According to Iain Andrew, Divisional Senior Vice President of Dnata Travel Services, “Dnata’s unrivalled local knowledge and expertise in the travel sector, together with Empire Aviation Group’s top quality product will be a successful combination that will be popular in the marketplace”.

Empire Aviation Group operates from Dubai International Airport with a fleet of five executive jet aircraft including a Hawker 850XP, Hawker 800, Challenger 604, and will shortly receive an Embraer Legacy 600 and a Gulfstream III.