UAE Private jet demand increases as...

Passengers are using the service daily return flights to Doha

Private jet companies are forecasting a busy season, as VVIPs, dignitaries and football fans rush to secure flights in and out of Doha, with the UAE serving as a main hub for flight operations in the region.

With more than 70 flights to Doha already booked, VistaJet chief commercial officer of global business aviation company Ian Moore said: “There's obviously people who are waiting to see if their favourite team gets past the qualifying rounds, but we strongly encourage our clientele to book with us as early as possible, even with a private jet, given the restrictions, and the amount of volume of flights that Doha is expecting, you need to be well organised and well-structured.”

While some long-haul flights are being booked directly from Asia and Europe, most of the interest the company is receiving is from within the GCC, including Abu Dhabi and Dubai. This is in part due to the fact that so many global travellers are using Dubai and Abu Dhabi as a base, allowing them to travel into Doha for games, returning to their holiday base on the same day.

Moore added: “Most will be coming through the UAE, whether they're staying in the UAE or spending a night in Doha, and then coming back again. But a big majority of people are using Dubai and Abu Dhabi as hubs during that time.

“I would say that the big benefactor of the World Cup as a secondary country, is the UAE, not just in terms of aircraft movements, but hotels, and the overlay of everything that comes from that. We were seeing that already with our parent company Vista being based in the DIFC. We see Dubai as a major hub for us from a business perspective.”

GET YOUR FREE 48-PAGE GCC TRAVEL & HOSPITALITY REPORT HERE

Based on the demand so far, the company anticipates that their floating fleet will be flying back and forth between Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar on an almost daily basis for the duration of the World Cup.

The FIFA World Cup tournament is currently underway with the final set to take place on 18 December.

For more information, visit www.vistajet.com