The UAE-based DC Aviation Al-Futtaim (DCAF) has added a Bombardier Global 7500 aircraft to its managed fleet. This brings the total number of aircraft under management to nine.
DC Aviation Al-Futtaim is a part of the DC Aviation group which has its headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany
The Global 7500 has a range of 7,700 nauitcal miles, which means it can travel from New York to Hong Kong or Singapore to San Francisco without having to stop to refuel. It can carry 19 people and has a top speed of 0.925 Mach. It also has a master suite with a full-size bed, a kitchen as well as a dedicated crew suite.
The aircraft has patented Nuage seats – reportedly the first new seat architecture in business aviation in 30 years.
DCAF said that it will manage and operate the new Global 75000 aircraft on behalf of its private owner. The new aircraft will be based at DCAF’s home base at Al Maktoum International airport in Dubai.
The list of services that DCAF will provide to the owner via a management contract include full Flight Operational Aircraft Management services, Continuous Airworthiness Management Organization (CAMO), hangar parking and FBO handling at its facility at Al Maktoum International airport, in addition to providing maintenance services for the aircraft.
Holger Ostheimer, managing director of DC Aviation Al-Futtaim, said: “This year as we celebrate our 10th anniversary, we are extremely pleased to have grown our managed fleet with the addition of the Global 7500.”
In a recent interview with Business Traveller, Ostheimer cautioned as to the overall growth prospects of business aviation. “As far as forecasts for 2023 are concerned, we do not assume to continue at the same high level [of growth] considering challenges such as inflation. Inflation seems though to have plateaued at the moment. There are other unknowns such as the volatility in the cryptocurrency market and inconsistent trends in worldwide stock markets. It’s very difficult to predict exactly what might happen, but in our region, we have upsides such as a community of high net worth and ultra high net worth individuals who will probably remain resilient to market conditions entering into 2023.”