Abu Dhabi’s Royal Jet expands into Asia

Abu Dhabi’s Royal Jet is expanding into Asia with plans to acquire a share of a private aviation business located close to Kuala Lumpur.

It is buying the Malaysian aviation business operated by Sapura Resources Berhad at Subang International Airport.

“We are keen to expand our business in Asia,” Mohammed Husain Ahmed, CEO of Royal Jet, was quoted as saying in a press statement on Monday.

“The ongoing discussions with Sapura Resources Berhad’s aviation business offers promising opportunities.”

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The announcement comes as a senior executive at a charter jet firm in Dubai told AGBI that the private aviation business is set for widespread consolidation.

Youssef Mouallem, executive vice president of Vista Global based in Dubai, said the sector was historically fragmented, but he was expecting to see more mergers and acquisitions.

“Businesses will consolidate and we will have a few big players in the industry, rather than a lot of the small players we see today,” Mouallem said. 

The private aviation industry has grown steadily since the pandemic, after a sharp rise in 2020 when Covid restrictions grounded scheduled flights.

In 2022 worldwide activity was 10 percent higher than in 2021 and 14 percent up on the 2019 figure, according to data firm WingX.

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