Middle East airlines competing for business jet travellers

The big three Middle East airlines, Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways, are all displaying at the 2014 Middle East Business Aviation (MEBA) show.

The exhibition, held at Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International Airport, runs from 8 – 10 December.

Emirates are displaying their Airbus A319ACJ msn 4822 / A6-CJE at MEBA for the first time.

Delivered in May 2013, the first year and a half of operations for Emirates Airlines executive division has seen the aircraft fly more than 450 hours to destinations that are both within, and outside the parents carriers route network.

Qatar Executive return to MEBA with a factory fresh Bombardier Global 5000.

One of five Global 5000s in the fleet, msn 9581 / A7-CEI was delivered in September, and joins an all Bombardier fleet that also includes one Bombardier Global Express, one Challenger 604 and four Challenger 605s.

Bombardier’s dominance of the Qatar Airways fleet will soon come to an end though, as the company announced an order for up to 20 Gulfstream G500s & G650ERs in October this year.

Etihad Airways are the only one of the three airlines that don’t currently have an executive division, however they’ve come to MEBA to tout their ‘Residence’ fist class product.

Billed by Etihad as ‘A truly unique and bespoke travel experience, delivered with complete discretion and limitless hospitality’ the new class will see it’s commercial flight on December 27 between Abu Dhabi and London on the company’s new Airbus A380s inaugural flight.

Etihad will be hoping that the three-room residence suite, which could cost up to $43,000 to travel in, will lure wealthy travellers away from chartering private jets.