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As the Middle East market for private aviation matures so, too, does the need to bring more related services closer to home. 

The lucrative world of VIP cabin completions is an obvious contender and the major local aerospace players have thrown their hats into the ring to support their clients.

Last November, Bahraini giant MENA Aerospace announced that it had partnered with Canada’s GAL Aviation to create a joint venture based in Bahrain, which will provide design, refurbishment and interiors installation for corporate aircraft. GAL MENA will also offer design and production capabilities, as well as carry out staff training. The new centre is slated to be operational by the second quarter of 2012.

Ralph Eisenschmid, MENA’s CEO said: “We anticipate a lot of interest in this venture and are excited to be involved in the establishment of the region’s first business aircraft interior refurbishment centre. GAL Aviation brings a wealth of experience which, when coupled with MENA’s regional presence, will provide a new level of service and expertise to the region’s aircraft owners.”

His counterpart in GAL, Marc St-Hilaire, VP of business development, added: “The demand for these products and services is strong. This operation will focus on aircraft cabin refurbishment, reconfiguration and warranty programmes. This complements our operation in Canada, where we design and produce new aircraft cabin components for major business jet manufacturers.”

Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies (ADAT) has already made inroads into the outfitting market for commercial airliners, so it does not require too much imagination to see that the company has the capability to move into the VIP market eventually. Back in 2010, Etihad Airways selected the firm as a partner for its A320 and B777 cabin retrofit programme. Modification work is carried out at ADAT’s facility in Abu Dhabi.

Owned by the Mubadala Development Company (Mubadala), the strategic investment arm of the Government of Abu Dhabi, ADAT is spearheading Abu Dhabi’s regional aviation MRO ambitions and is pivotal in the development of Mubadala’s worldwide MRO network.

Western companies are also keen to get a slice of the action and are pairing with regional firms to establish a foothold in the Gulf. For example, 328 Design teamed with Turkish Technic (part of Turkish Airlines) to work on design projects. The first for this collaboration is a GIV interior conversion.

The 328 team will certify designs and materials selected by Turkish Technic through a supplemental type certification (STC) issued by its sister company AMDS. The German company’s MD, Ralf Kohlen, said: “This is an exciting time for our team and another important step to develop our business beside the Dornier 328.”

Swiss entity Comlux The Aviation Group is also making a bid to gain more Middle East outfitting work. The firm has set up shop in Bahrain and took its two largest business jets to the Bahrain International Airshow earlier this year: an Airbus ACJ320 and a Boeing 767BBJ.

This was partly to show off its capabilities in interiors. Comlux designed and completed the BBJ at its completion centre in Indianapolis. The main room features a VIP lounge, followed by a fully private compartment in the middle of the cabin. This can be either a day lounge, or a bedroom at night, and also has a dedicated bathroom with shower.

At the back of the aircraft, a large business class section allows passengers to travel with their delegation. The cabin was intentionally designed for the Middle East charter market. Designer Tim Cailles said: “Often Arabian clients like modern clean cabins with colours reminiscent of sand and sea.” 

Comlux has also appointment Middle East Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) chief, Ali Ahmed Al Naqbi, to its board of directors.

The big global players will not relinquish their hold on the interiors market easily and work intensively with local firms to obtain contracts.

Major Saudi outfit MAZ Aviation brokers interiors deals alongside its sales and acquisition work, for example working with San-Antonio’s Gore Design Completions on a full refurbishment and reconfiguration of the interior for an Airbus A340-200 for a Middle Eastern client.

In the six years since its formation Maz has moved into several business lines including consultation. Chairman Mohammed al Zeer said: “The best description of us is ‘gap fillers’. We see gaps in the market and fill them.”

Relative newcomer Zurich-based AMAC Aerospace won an Airbus A319-ACJ completion contract through Rizon Jet in Qatar. Rizon will manage the aircraft and British designer Andrew Winch will design the interior. The aircraft is scheduled for delivery in January next year. 

AMAC has also won contracts for a VVIP Boeing B747-8i for a Middle Eastern head of state and a Boeing B777-300 ER for a client in the Gulf region – due for delivery at the end of this year. CEO Heinz Köhli said: “Many of our clients are from the Middle East. They like large aircraft as many of them have big families.”

In 2011 ExecuJet and Saudi’s National Air Services’ subsidiary NasJet partnered to open a new FBO at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. This is another Middle Eastern offering from ExecuJet, which also beefed up its local service provision with a partnership with Turkish company Bilen, based at Istanbul International Airport. 

There is no doubt ExecuJet will be offering further interior consultancy services like the collaboration with Ontario-based Flying Colours Corp, which delivered a completed Bombardier Challenger 850 into the Middle East last summer.

Sean Gillespie, Flying Colours’ director of completions said: “This is the first time we have delivered a green Challenger 850 to a customer to the Middle East.”

The big outfitters are also deepening their regional foothold. Lufthansa Technik (LHT) announced at last year’s Dubai Airshow that it is to set up a new Dubai company. Lufthansa Technik Middle East Services (LTMES) will bundle all the Middle East sales and service activities pursued by a variety of members of the international Lufthansa Technik Group. Managing director Ziad Al Hazmi said: “LTMES will make it possible for us to speed up services and communication between Lufthansa Technik and the customer and structure them more efficiently.”

LHT has strong business ties to the Middle East and inked its second Boeing 747-8 VIP completions deal at the end of last year for an undisclosed regional customer. The aircraft is due to arrive at the company’s Hamburg base in late 2012.

Rival Jet Aviation has strengthened its local service offering with the appointment of Abdullah Al-Ghamdi as new customer relations manager in Saudi and Peter Lewis as new senior manager at Al Bateen Executive Airport.

The company’s Basel base was the first completions house to sign a contract for the VVIP completion of a Boeing 747-8 cabin interior with an undisclosed client from the Middle East. Following its expected arrival in Basel in early 2012, the aircraft will be completed within 24 months.

Although there are many players making a bid to gain more traction in the Middle East completions market, there is still a swathe of new VIP aircraft slated to enter service in the Gulf over the next few years. This is good news for the interiors sector, which is likely to remain buoyant for the foreseeable future.