Hawker Beechcraft forecast strong growth in Middle East

Hawker Beechcraft believes there will be
strong growth in the private aviation sector in the Middle
East over the next few years. The company says one of its largest
growth areas in the region is its special mission applications, which range
from maritime patrol and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance to
commercial applications such as photographic, air ambulance, flight inspection,
weather modifications and transportation for government officials.

“We have made a number of strides in our
Middle Eastern market – most notably with delivery of special mission
aircraft,” said Sean McGeough, Hawker Beechcraft president, Europe, Middle East
and Africa. “In addition to special mission aircraft deliveries, we have a
large number of Hawker Beechcraft products in the region already performing a
wide variety of special missions every day.”

Hawker Beechcraft, in recent years has
delivered the largest share of business turbines and turboprops in the region
with approximately 34 percent and 88 percent respectively, believes there are
several factors fueling the growth in the region. These include the increasing
economic strength of the region; a heightened focus on privacy and security; an
influx of companies that offer corporate jet services to their senior
executives; and a growing number of secondary airports in less populated areas
in the region making travel to remote areas easier – a benefit especially
valued by oil and gas companies.

“To succeed in the Middle
East market, you also need a world class customer service
organization,” McGeough said. “It is not sufficient to just provide the aircraft;
you also need strong aftermarket sales support and a robust parts
infrastructure. As part of our commitment to this, we have recently placed
dedicated sales and support personnel in the region and signed a new contract
with ExecuJet to provide service for Hawker products in Dubai and other locations around the world.”