Business | Aviation
All revved up but nowhere to land
Firms are now shuttling executives from Abu Dhabi to Dubai during rush hour in 25 minutes in powerful new twin engine helicopters such as the AugustaWestland 109, boasting a max speed of 285 kilometres per hour.
- By Ivan Gale, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:00 April 7, 2007
- Image Credit:
- UAE's Nascent helicopter air taxi industry seeks more public-use helipads.
Dubai: Could there be such a thing as travelling through Dubai devoid of traffic?
For more than a few high net worth individuals, it's a real possibility thanks to the growing helicopter air taxi industry.
Firms are now shuttling executives from Abu Dhabi to Dubai during rush hour in 25 minutes in powerful new twin engine helicopters such as the AugustaWestland 109, boasting a max speed of 285 kilometres per hour.
For roughly Dh900 per person for a party of six, Falcon Aviation Services will transport the group from Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi to Dubai International Airport and then back again once their business in Dubai is done.
While the costs are too high for most business people, saving six people a few hours of travel time each leads to greater business efficiency for companies, said Philip Markham, general manager of Falcon Aviation Services. After launching in November, Falcon is typically hired to make the Abu Dhabi to Dubai trip a few times a week.
"The potential here is unlimited," said Markham. "It's a complete virgin market."
Air taxi is a new business for helicopter charter companies in the UAE, which traditionally served the oil and gas industry with its long travel times between sites and offshore work, in addition to search and rescue operations.
Beginnings
The industry got its start in 1976 when the emirate of Abu Dhabi helped create Abu Dhabi Aviation, which in addition to a fleet of aircraft also owns 47 Bell and Augusta Westland helicopters. While Abu Dhabi Aviation boasts the most extensive contacts in the oil and gas industry, Falcon, with a current fleet of eight helicopters, hopes to enter that field as well, Markham said.
Other licensed firms offering helicopter service in the UAE include Eastern SkyJets, Unijet and Royal Jet, according to Mike Creed, managing director of Action Aviation, the regional distributor for MD Helicopters.
After launching the company's helicopter sales unit last December, Action Aviation has already received an encouraging response, Creed said. "Business has been very good indeed, we're sold one helicopter and are in contractual negotiations for two more," he told Gulf News.
If the amount of new helipads being built in Dubai is any indication, the air taxi market looks as if it's about to explode. Anyone driving in Deira, Dubai Marina or along Shaikh Zayed Road would see dozens of rooftop helipads, not to mention the one on top of the Burj Al Arab.
It's possibilities like these that have aviation firms salivating with each new tower that goes up. There's just one really big hitch, however. So far, these helipads are more window dressing than the real thing.
"There are lots and lots of helipads," said Markham during a recent aviation forum in Dubai. "Unfortunately, only one or two are actually certified to land on. It's as if developers put helipads on their buildings just for emergency evacuations."
Helipads on both sides of Dubai Creek would do wonders to open up the market, he said.
"In this part of the world, people do business face to face. And with the growing business being done between [companies in] Abu Dhabi and Dubai, more public-use helipads would really stimulate this market," he added.
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