Tackling the upwardly mobile challenge

There may not be a lot in common between a speculative eVTOL concept and a well-established corporate jet that can whizz half a dozen executives or sports stars around the world.

But there is. Both face the challenge of being non-scheduled airlines and therefore face different regulations and, often, misunderstood when there is a last-minute request for clearances. The new advanced air mobility (AAM) industry is also facing the hurdles of certification that are recognised as costing well over a billion dollars to meet requirements that might not yet have been determined.

But at December’s MEBAA show there was a marked optimism that two of the giants of the region’s regulators, the UAE’s GCAA and Saudia Arabia’s GACA have focused on the challenges and clearing the way to revolutionise the systems, raising the bar for global aviation standards and opening doors to allow AAM to flourish.

Increasingly, the Gulf has become a focus for major events in both sport and industry. With Saudi Arabia named as the FIFA World Cup 2034 host, following the smooth running of the Doha event in 2022, Gulf airports can expect to see a boom from business aviation. But it isn’t just a one-off.

The UAE sees a continuing increase in demand for premium transport experiences, while Saudi Arabia’s business aviation sector is experiencing a surge fuelled by the Kingdom’s expanding economy, significant government investment on infrastructure, and a growing influx of high-net-worth individuals.

According to TechSCI research the segment was valued at $1.2 billion in 2023, but is projected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 8.88 per cent between 2025 and 2029.

Meanwhile, the UAE sees the opportunity to establish itself as the clear hub for business aviation as the GCAA’s assistant director-general for aviation safety affairs, Aqeel Ahmed Al Zarouni said at MEBAA.

“The GCAA will appoint a dedicated ‘ambassador’ for the private aviation sector “to personalise support to operators, with a single point of contact for seamless communication and assistance,” Al Zarouni said, as he announced a new framework of regulations and processes designed to simplify life for operators.

“The new package will cut the time, and thus costs, associated with operating in the country,” Al Zarouni said. “For example, acquiring an Air Operators Certificate (AOC) has traditionally taken up to 18 months. This will be cut to as little as six months, assuming the applicant is geared up to provide the necessary information to the GCAA in support of its bid.”

The new package aims to strike a balance between streamlining processes and upholding the UAE’s high standards of security and safety.

Asked whether the new package had been introduced to fend off increasing competition from Saudi Arabia in the aviation sector, Al Zarouni said: “We cannot ignore competition, but competition is healthy. Competition is something we encourage … regardless of whether it is for business aviation, or aviation in totality.”

An indication of the UAE’s desire to increase its attractiveness to the business jet sector came in his comment that the country aims to double, or even triple, the current 87 private aviation aircraft on the country’s register “in a short time frame”.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is taking action based on the road map announced at GACA’s Aviation Forum last year, which aims to support the Kingdom’s development as a global high-value business and tourist destination.

It targets a ten-fold increase in the contribution to gross domestic product by the general aviation sector to $2 billion by 2030, covering the business jet segment, including charter, private, and corporate planes.

Both of the regulators are also turning attention to the AAM market and the mood is spreading across the nations. In January the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) signed an MoU with the country’s port and customs authority (PCFC) with a commitment of both entities to support the UAE’s strategy of developing advanced infrastructure and a sustainable aviation industry.

The main focus on this is clearing the way for drone operations with the DCAA set to enable PCFC’s use of drones in its operational domains, providing clear guidelines to define permissible geographic zones for drone operations and issue necessary permits.

Regarding heliport landing fields, the MOU outlines the procedures for service requests and requirements for certifying heliport landing fields owned by PCFC. The DCAA will oversee approvals and conduct inspections to ensure compliance with safety standards, while PCFC will provide necessary facilities for approvals and operational processes.

“We are dedicated to provide a safe and sustainable environment that supports the aviation sector in the emirate and maintains its rapid growth trajectory, reinforcing Dubai’s position as a global aviation leader,” said Mohammed Abdulla Lengawi, director general of DCAA.

Meanwhile, the GCAA is pressing ahead to ensure infrastructure exists when the first of the eVTOLs finally get the go ahead to begin passenger operations.

GCAA granted technical design approval for a planned vertiport next to Dubai International Airport (DXB). The Dubai International Vertiport (DVX), the facility is to be the first of a planned network of four vertiports that Skyports will build and operate as part of a three-way pact with manufacturer Joby and the Dubai Roads and Transit Authority (RTA). The other three vertiports are planned for Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Downtown and Dubai Marina.

Covering an area of about 3,100 sqm, the three-story vertiport building will have two landing areas designed to support both electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) air taxis and conventional helicopters. Each landing area will feature fast charging and should be able to support up to 10 aircraft landings per hour, Skyports said.

The UAE has emerged as the international launch market for Joby and its main rival Archer. While Joby has selected Dubai as its first market, Archer is planning to launch initial services in the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi.

During MEBAA it was announced that Archer will be manufacturing its Midnight Aircraft in the emirate. GCAA Archer and the UAE regulator, the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) held a week-long workshop in November to establish the necessary regulatory framework to certify the Midnight and approve commercial air taxi operations in the UAE.

The Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) are facilitating coordination among the Abu Dhabi entities in preparation for the launch of commercial operations – currently projected within the next year to 18 months.

Parties to the agreement include Abu Dhabi Airports, Falcon Aviation Services, Etihad Aviation Training, the GCAA, Global Air Navigation Services, Global Aerospace Logistics and the Integrated Transport Centre.

The progress from the regulators across different fronts received the thumbs up from the sector – with praise coming from speakers at the MEBAA conference.

“The region has always been important to us, but there has been a marked change over the last 12 months in terms of increased interest in business aviation. It’s exciting as there seems to be plenty of interest from regulators reaching out and getting into arrangements with the rest of the international community,” said Aoife O’Sullivan, partner of the Air Law Firm from London.

It is refreshing to see regulators and governments in the Middle East embrace business aviation. O’Sullivan added that in the UK and Europe, the industry often faces growing anti-aviation sentiment, making the UAE’s “supportive environment a welcome change”.

She underlined the region’s financial landscape is also evolving positively. “Financing private aviation used to be challenging; however the money is now firmly rooted in the region, with financial institutions lending locally and responsibly, fostering a more robust market,” she continued.

She also emphasised that English law’s widespread appreciation across Gulf jurisdictions also facilitates smoother transactions, particularly in markets like Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

“With the UAE streamlining processes around aircraft registration, inspections, and regulatory compliance, this proactive approach, combined with a focus on industry growth, creates an exciting and efficient environment for private aviation to thrive,” she said.

The debate, she concluded, is around the preference for offshore registries versus onshore registries. “Ultimately, the key elements everyone looks for in a registry are ease of access and flexibility – being able to reach someone outside of standard hours when urgent matters arise,” she added.