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29 March 2024

Religious tourism lifts private jet charters

(EB FILE)

Published
By Staff Writer

International Air Charter (IAC), a private jet charter broker, expects a 50 per cent increase in demand for charters to Saudi Arabia during Ramadan over the previous year, the company said yesterday.

IAC added that the forecast is in line with the growth of religious tourism in Saudi Arabia, which is expected to generate up to $7 billion (Dh25.71bn) in annual revenues.

"The large number of tourist arrivals during Ramadan makes chartered flights a practical travel solution, especially for affluent travellers who wish to avoid the time-consuming formalities of commercial air travel," Elie Abdo, Managing Partner-Middle East, IAC, said in a statement.

He said IAC has allocated substantial resources and has put priority on religious tourism. This is part of its strategic plan in the Middle East, which has emerged as the centre of growth for chartered jet services.

IAC has increased its fleet for Makkah and Madinah, key destinations of travellers performing the Umrah and Haj pilgrimage. For those who want to perform the Haj and Umrah, this means having a direct link to Makkah or Madinah from anywhere in the world, the company said, adding that it is also able to customise in-flight services to match their personal and religious requirements.

IAC offers a wide selection of six- to 40-seat planes, while its roster of aircraft currently includes Piaggio, Premier, Hawker, Falcon, Gulfstream, Challenger, Dornier, Global Express, Boeing, VIP Airbus and VIP McDonnell Douglas.

 

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