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One company said its floating fleet flew back and forth between Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar almost daily throughout the event
With the FIFA World Cup in Qatar looming, private jet companies are bracing for a very busy season as VVIPs, dignitaries and football fans scramble to secure flights in and out of Doha, the UAE’s main hub for flight operations in the region.
Ian Moore, chief commercial officer at global business airline VistaJet, told harrij times The company has seen a significant increase in demand for Qatar during the World Cup, particularly during the opening ceremony and later stages of the tournament – more than 70 flights from around the world have already been booked. “Obviously some people are waiting to see if their favorite team can make it through the qualifiers… We strongly encourage our clients to book with us as early as possible, even for private jets, given the restrictions and the number of flights Doha is looking forward to, you need to organize Good and well structured.”
While some long-haul flights are booked directly from Asia and Europe, the company has received most of the interest from within the Gulf Cooperation Council, including Abu Dhabi and Dubai. This fits with widespread perceptions that the UAE will serve as a hub for global travelers planning to base themselves in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, enabling them to travel to Doha for the game and return on the same day.
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“A large part will go through the UAE, either staying in the UAE or spending the night in Doha and coming back. But during that time, the vast majority use Dubai and Abu Dhabi as hubs.
Moore added that due to the high demand, the airline has primarily limited flights to its existing or long-term customer base. “You buy guaranteed availability for an event like this, and there’s going to be a surge in demand there. So most of the flights we fly in and out are our long-term loyal customers who are going to the World Cup, or maybe they even know the area very well and are in business there. They’re also combining the two.”
“I would say the biggest beneficiary of the World Cup as a secondary country is the UAE region. The UAE is going to be a big benefactor not just in terms of planes taking off and landing, but in terms of hotels and everything stacked up from that. We’ve seen that One point … our parent company, Vista, is based in the Dubai International Financial Center and from a business perspective, we see Dubai as our main hub,” Moore said.
Based on current demand, the company expects their seaplane fleet to fly back and forth between Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar almost daily during the World Cup.
Moore explained that one of the reasons customers prefer to fly in and out is the limited supply of hotel accommodation in Doha. “If they could get a hotel, they would probably stay an extra night or two, but the reality is the hotels are very, very limited and very, very busy, and people would rather be centered in other areas and then come in and out of the game.
“Our clients tend to get what they want, and when there is a scarce resource like the best hotels, they prefer to return to Dubai or Abu Dhabi, where they can be assured of getting it.”
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In August, DC Aviation Al-Futtaim (DCAF), a joint venture between Stuttgart-based DC Aviation GmbH and Dubai-based private Emirati business group Al-Futtaim, pointed to restrictions on private jets flying to Doha as the football boom looms. The surge in demand preceded the race.
To meet growing demand, the joint venture will provide special charter flights from Dubai for fans to travel to Doha to support their teams. Round-trip charter flights to the world’s biggest sporting event will offer UAE fans the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see their favorite team in action.
The FIFA World Cup is scheduled to run from November 21 to December 18.
Currently, Emirates airline flydubai, Etihad Airways, Air Arabia and Qatar’s national carrier, Qatar Airways, operate flights between the two countries.
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