Sharjah Update Sharjah business & Investment News from Invest in Sharjah (Sharjah FDI Office)
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Gama Support Services, a division of global business aviation services company Gama Aviation, has signed commercial agreements with Sharjah Airport Authority for the development and operation of a new private aviation terminal at Sharjah International Airport. Gama Support Services will build and operate a new AED 110 million (US$ 30m) purpose-built, integrated business aviation complex and provide ground handling services to business jet owners, business jets, and crew members. Gama took over the handling of all business aircraft the airport in January 2012 and opened a private terminal in 2014.
Gama Aviation disclosed architectural concepts for the new Sharjah fixed-base operations (FBO) at the end of last year. The project covers over 40,000 square metres at Sharjah International Airport and will include two aircraft hangars able to accommodate business aircraft up to Airbus ACJ & Boeing BBJ size (ACJ aircraft are based on the Airbus A320 family, while BBJ are based on Boeing 737 commercial aircraft frames).
The state-of-the-art terminal for business jet owners, passengers and crew members will include rest areas, lounges, Duty Free shops, passport control and customs. The development will also include an aircraft fueling unit, an aircraft parking apron for business jets and ample car parking adjacent to the terminal.
Gama recently secured UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and European Aviation Safety Agency approvals to provide line maintenance for a wide range of business aircraft at its Sharjah FBO, including the Beechcraft King Air, Bombardier Challenger, Bombardier Global, Embraer Legacy , Gulfstream and Boeing Business Jets.
Gama Aviation’s Sharjah FBO saw a 45 percent increase in aircraft movements during the first four months of 2017, which the company attributes partly to its proximity to Downtown Dubai and Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). With no slot restrictions, plenty of parking, aircraft hangarage, security and customs clearance and almost immediate passes providing access to aircraft, the FBO is becoming a popular access point to business jet owners seeking to access Dubai and the Northern Emirates.
According to recent figures from Gama Aviation, the Middle East has a business aviation fleet of about 800 aircraft, with Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates accounting for 24 percent, 20 percent and 17 percent of the market respectively.
Source: SAA, Gama Aviation
