Dubai: A concept in America that lets fliers bid for empty seats on private jets at discounted prices would not work in the Middle East, a top regional aviation executive has said.
Ali Al Naqbi, Founding Chairman of the Middle East Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) said in an interview that the market is not ready because it lacks the necessary infrastructure.
“The focus should be on the growth of the business aviation on the charter, VIP charter, and try to have more maintenance, repair and overhaul and more fixed base operators to be able to handle those activities,” he said. In the United States a company called JumpSeat has developed a peer-to-peer sharing service that allows a private jet owner, or operator, to sell empty seats, ultimately saving on flight costs.
According to the website it “is a revolutionary new ‘private community of the air’ that is as appealing to private jet owners as it is to those who just want to, well, jump into a surprisingly well-priced seat.”
Al Naqbi points to fractional ownership as to why the concept would not work.
“A lot of companies have tried to implement fractional ownership where you share owning an aircraft and it didn’t work here,” Al Naqbi said.
Adding that, “what will work in Europe and the US will not necessarily work here”.
While Al Naqbi would not write off the JumpSeat concept in the long-term, he said that privacy would be a concern for regional travellers.
“We strive for privacy that does not give you privacy,” he said.
