Member Profile: Royal Jet
In each newsletter we will be introducing a member company. It is fitting that the first company to be profiled is Abu Dhabi’s Royal Jet.
If there is one company that can sum up what Middle East business aviation can achieve, it is Royal Jet. And that is not just the view of those in the region – for the Abu Dhabi luxury flight services provider has been voted the world’s best charter operator for the third consecutive year.
Royal Jet is jointly owned by Abu Dhabi Aviation and the Presidential Flight Authority or PFA, the royal flight service and is chaired by His Excellency Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, who also serves as a Minister in the UAE Federal Cabinet.
It was the recognition of its service excellence that led to Royal Jet being voted the ‘World’s Leading Private Jet Charter’ by the World Travel Awards for three consecutive years, and the ‘Middle East’s Leading Private Jet Charter’ at the Middle East Travel Awards. In addition, Royal Jet’s Fixed Base Operations facility (FBO) in Abu Dhabi was voted ‘Best in the Middle East’ by Aviation International News, the US-based business aviation newspaper
Royal Jet’s current fleet of aircraft includes six Boeing Business Jets, which makes it the world’s single largest independent BBJ operator, two mid-range Gulfstream 300s; a long-range Gulfstream IVSP; a Lear Jet 60 and an Embraer Lineage 1000.
The comapny is a founding member of MEBAA and is also a member of the NBAA, AVITAT, MedLink (a service of MedAir Inc.) and the Flight Safety Foundation.
The company's core offerings are: luxury VIP Aircraft Charter, Royal Jet Medical Evacuation Services, Royal Jet Charter Brokerage, Fixed Base Operations (FBO)/VIP Terminal at Abu Dhabi International Airport and Aircraft Management and Acquisition Consultancy.
More recently it has entered into a commercial and operational alliance with fellow MEBAA member ARABASCO - the premier Fixed Based Operations (FBO) and maintenance facility company in Saudi Arabia. This leverages the extensive experience and expertise of both parties in luxury private jet travel to address the regional and global executive travel needs of the Kingdom.
From 2008 onwards, Royal Jet has identified a five-year expansion strategy that is aimed at creating solutions to address the Middle East’s business aviation growth. Its expansion spans fleet acquisition, interiors upgrades and a strengthening of its sales structure and offerings.
VIP Aircraft Charter:
Royal Jet offers a bespoke, personalised service ensuring no two flights are the same. From a short day trip to a multiple destination itinerary, requirements are met down to the finest detail. Safety, security, confidentiality, privacy and unsurpassed comfort are Royal Jet hallmarks.
Prior to the global economic slowdown, industry studies credited the Middle East’s charter market with 23 percent annual growth in the period 2006-2008. During that period, Royal Jet showed year-on-year growth in the order of 25 to 30 percent.
Royal Jet Medical Evacuation Service:
Royal Jet Medical Evacuation Service specialises in private patient transfers with over 1000 successful missions to date.
Royal Jet Medical Evacuation Service aircraft are fitted with state-of-the-art medical equipment and intensive care facilities, enabling critical care patient transfer. Specialist doctors are experienced across a variety of medical disciplines including adult and paediatric critical care.
Royal Jet Medical Evacuation Service provides guaranteed aircraft availability tailored to the individual’s needs, with a rapid response time following confirmation. Bed-to-bed medical care is guaranteed with complete in-flight monitoring of the patients’ condition. Royal Jet Medical Evacuation Service performs all the required co-ordination between healthcare providers, hospitals and the patients’ families.
VIP Terminal/FBO:
Royal Jet has exclusive FBO facilities, a VIP terminal and lounges at Abu Dhabi International Airport providing convenient airport accessibility. The company can arrange for limousine or helicopter transfers to and from the FBO, as well as make special arrangements for on-board executive meetings.
Aircraft Management:
Royal Jet provides a tailored, comprehensive service from initial consultancy through to the acquisition, management and purchase of aircraft. As a 'one-stop-shop' service, the all-inclusive package reduces total costs for aircraft owners without compromising on quality or safety.
Under such service offering, Royal Jet is currently operating and managing an Embraer Lineage 1000 aircraft through an aircraft management agreement with UAE-based business conglomerate, Al Habtoor Group. At the onset, Royal Jet carried out due diligence on its purchase, prepared the technical specifications and conducted the associated financial, commercial and technical reviews.
Royal Jet Charter Brokerage:
Royal Jet Charter Brokerage provides travel solutions by sourcing appropriate aircraft for charter through a network of carefully audited operators. With the brokerage being a global service, Royal Jet can find the right aircraft at the best price for any request for any journey. If a Royal Jet aircraft is not available due to seasonality or aircraft size, an alternative travel solution can be sourced for the customer. This aspect is particularly important for corporate customers who often have to make last minute travel arrangements to meet the pressing demands of their businesses.
The brokerage service is a key aspect of Royal Jet’s growth strategy and has enjoyed excellent response. Profits in the first year estimated to reach seven figures, in spite of the fact that the business had only began operations at the start of 2009.
Royal Jet Partnership with ARABASCO
Royal Jet is now on its second year of partnership with ARABASCO - the premier Fixed Based Operations (FBO) and maintenance facility company in Saudi Arabia. Offering private jet charter, as well as domestic and international travel from Saudi Arabia, Royal Jet operates the Gulfstream 300 and the BBJ, from ARABASCO’s key hubs in Jeddah, Riyadh, Medina and Yanbu. Through the partnership, Royal Jet has a crew, a full operations team and all the necessary logistics in Saudi Arabia, extending the region’s most sought after elite business aviation services further afield from its home base of Abu Dhabi across the Middle East, and forward into cities such as London, Moscow and Kuala Lumpur.
The Royal Jet service commitment:
Royal Jet’s commitment to delivering absolute service excellence is supported by its diverse product offering and exceptional team of highly qualified professionals. Constantly improving its customer experience, Royal Jet has welcomed the return of a fully-refurbished BBJ - the A6-RJY - which epitomizes the very best in cutting-edge technology and luxurious refinement. Furthermore, it received delivery of two new additions into its fast-growing fleet - a sixth BBJ and an Embraer Lineage 1000 through an aircraft management agreement with UAE-based conglomerate, the Al Habtoor Group.
The sixth BBJ – the A6-DFR - reinforces Royal Jet’s position as the world’s single largest independent operator of such aircraft, which through its a uniquely-styled ‘home-away-from-home’ luxury, easily re-creates a feel of a small boutique hotel. The brand new Embraer Lineage 1000 aircraft meanwhile, which is one of the world’s most technologically advanced business jets, now enables Royal Jet to offer guests a new dimension in luxury with a full range of aircraft capacity and prices.
Also in line with creating a unique customer experience, Royal Jet became the world’s first luxury charter services company to offer guests a personal chef, providing them with bespoke, gourmet dining based on their own individual preferences. And to add further value to Royal Jet’s loyal customers, it introduced a corporate relationship programme that rewards frequent private jet travel with increased discounts of up to nine per cent, plus other benefits.
All Royal Jet personnel are highly trained and are at the cutting edge of service delivery and safety. Apart from their previous working experience, Royal Jet’s professionals undergo further in-depth training that ensures a Royal Jet experience that is second to none.
Chief executive Shane O’Hare is a regular speaker at international conferences and is always keen to share the Royal jet vision with the business aviation community. That vision is to be the most admired private aviation brand in the world – and to be asked for by name by discerning travellers across the globe.
So far, they are doing a pretty good job at achieving it.