FIFA World Cup spikes demand of private jets in UAE  

The holding of FIFA world cup in Qatar has spiked the demand of private jets in UAE that serves as a main hub for flight operations in the region.

According to Khaleej Times, Ian Moore, chief commercial officer of VistaJet said the company has seen a significant uptick in demand to Qatar during the period of the World Cup with over 70 flights from around the globe already booked. “There's obviously some people that are waiting to see if their favourite team gets past the qualifying rounds… 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 line with the general sentiment that the Emirates will become a hub for global travelers who are planning to use Dubai and Abu Dhabi as a base, allowing them to travel into Doha for games and then back again on the same day.

“A big percentage will be coming through the UAE, whether it's staying in the UAE or spending one 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.

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.

Moore explained one reason for clients preferring to fly in and out is the limited availability of hotel accommodations in Doha. “If they had access to hotels they might stay an extra one or two nights but the reality is it's very, very limited, and very, very busy, and people would prefer to use other regions as a hub and then come in and out for the games.

Source: Khaleej Times