International Air Charter (IAC), one of the world’s largest independent private aircraft charter brokers, has posted record revenue growth in the Gulf, with a 133 per cent increase in charter flights flown from Dubai. The company’s revenue hit the USD 2.2 million-mark, notching a staggering 238 per cent rise over the USD 650,000 generated during the corresponding period in 2005. The increase was largely driven by the huge transportation demand triggered by the 2006 World Cup Football in Germany as well as by the summer onrush of GCC residents to popular European and American destinations.
The UAE accounted for 20 per cent of the overall revenue generated during the June-July period, while the remaining 80 per cent came from other Gulf countries and through the different IAC representatives in the region.
Hugh Courtenay, CEO, IAC, said, “The last couple of months marked one of the most exciting phases in IAC’s operations in the region. While summer has traditionally induced strong demand for IAC’s charter services, the fact that this year it coincided with the World Cup proved to be a huge revenue boost. It is a testament to IAC’s business readiness and operational excellence that we were able to anticipate and meet this demand, and our strong revenue growth during this period further strengthens our market standing in the region.”
“We view the remarkable surge in IAC revenues during the World Cup as a pointer to the immense potential offered by sports charter travel, and we are fully geared for the upcoming Asian Games in Doha to tap into this growing market. IAC has been expanding its presence in the Middle East by building alliances with prominent regional players, and we are looking to sustain this strong growth momentum into the future,” Courtenay added.
IAC also achieved similarly impressive revenue growth in the UK during the June-July period. During the two months, IAC flew a total of 186 charter flights generating 3.25 million Pounds in revenue.
Thirty per cent of all flights during the June-July period in 2006 were to German destinations hosting World Cup matches. Besides Germany, the Italian city of Olbia and the French Riviera town of Nice were the most popular destinations for IAC customers from the UK.
International Air Charter plc is one of the largest independent aircraft charter brokers in Europe and the Middle East, with headquarters in the UK, and a global network of operations. The company specializes in providing a variety of aircraft, from helicopters and executive jets to large commercial airliners from its fleet database of over 45,000 aircraft for commercial and personal use. The company has offices in major business hubs across the world, including New York, Nice and Dubai.
International Air Charter plc is a member of several leading aviation associations, including the Baltic Air Charter Association (BACA), National Business Aircraft Association (NBAAA), associate member of Incentive Travel and Meetings Associations (ITMA) and supplier member of Institute of Travel Management (ITM). The company has also achieved internationally recognized ISO 9002 certification for ‘the supply of business and executive aircraft for charter’.
