Meba 2008 Ends On A High With $90m Cessna Deal

Industry defies global trends with announcements worth $1.5bn in three days

The global economy may be facing turbulent times in the months ahead but as the Middle East Business Aviation 2008 (MEBA) show signed off yesterday (Tuesday) with new orders worth $90m, industry insiders predicted the executive charter industry should fly through the financial storm.
A total of more than $1.5bn worth of deals were announced at the three-day MEBA 2008 event while dozens of partnerships were struck between Western and Middle Eastern companies, as many looked to secure their financial security going forward.
And giving the regional market a clean bill of health, Ali Al Naqbi, Founding Chairman, Middle East Business Aviation Association (MEBAA), the organisation behind MEBA, said he was now looking forward to the 2010 edition of the show.
"This event was perfect," he said from Dubai Airport Expo yesterday. "It was three times as big as 2007 and exhibitors have told me that they had direct access to the people they needed to do business with. After all the deals and announcements we have seen at MEBA 2008, we can be assured that the market is growing and that there is plenty of confidence out there."
The gains made during this year's event would provide a solid platform for 2010, Al Naqbi said.
"The outlook for MEBA is great. We will be relocating to the purpose-built site at Dubai World Central for the next edition and are very confident that this event's momentum will carry on so that in two years' time we will see an even bigger and better show."
In one of MEBA's final announcements, Cessna agent, Captain Saad Wallan of Wallan Aviation, confirmed sales of three Cessna Columbus, a Cessna Citation, a Cessna Caravan and two used Cessna CJs worth $90m, before the close of the event.
Trevor Esling, Cessna's Vice President, International Sales, Europe, Middle East and Africa, said his company had been targeting the lucrative Middle East market since the early 1990s.
"The Middle East is a growing market for us and our class of jets. We know that the Middle East market is very much a see it, touch it, feel it market and MEBA, which is well organised, with excellent infrastructure and great access for a big event, allows us to establish relationships on a face-to-face basis with potential customers."
More good news came from Project Phoenix and its distributor Action Aviation, after Egyptian film star and producer, Yousef Mansour, became the company's first Middle Eastern customer. The martial arts expert closed a deal at MEBA 2008 on a Phoenix CRJ which will be used to fly Mansour and his crews on location.
Alison Weller, Director, F&E Aerospace, the company which organised MEBA 2008 on behalf of MEBAA, said the robust state of the business aviation market in the Middle East would help the industry grow in the future.
"What this event has demonstrated more than ever is that business aviation is a fast-moving industry and private charters are increasingly being considered as convenient and cost-effective alternatives for busy executives for whom time is money," she said. "The fact that so many major announcements have come out of MEBA 2008 and that so many companies are pursuing international tie-ups implies that firms have noted this increasing demand and are responding to it in a confident manner. That, we believe, is very good news."
MEBA 2008 was triple the size of the 2007 edition and showcased more than 70 aircraft worth US$1.6bn on its dedicated static park. Two hundred and fifty exhibitors from 30 countries attended the three day event, with visitor numbers expected to top 5,000.