Multi-million dollar design upgrade for Royal Jet's fleet of BBJs

Chaired by H.E. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the Abu-Dhabi-headquartered luxury executive flight services company is set to revolutionise private air travel with its high-tech and aesthetic refurbishment.

Led by its philosophy of enhancing the flying experience and comfort of its passengers, Royal Jet's focus for the renovation was to offer guests a wider versatility in the options of cabin arrangement and a more advanced service in terms of entertainment, communication and luxury. The new layout will now include a luxurious bedroom and shower room in addition to the provision of a multi-functional divan meetings area, which can be utilised as a dining room or a board room.

The colour palette is a pleasing mix of neutrals and muted tones, with sumptuous leather recliners and wood veneers for the custom-designed cabinetry, whilst the adjustable recessed mood lighting is designed to suit every need of our passengers whatever the time of day. The new in-flight entertainment systems now have video-on-demand and are complemented by state-of-the-art communication tools such as enhanced internet connections and onboard personal mobile phone usage.

Work on the first refurbishment, due to be completed in early 2009, will be carried out by Canadian-based Genesis Holdings through its subsidiaries DRB Aviation Consultants and Goderich Aerospace.

Shane O'Hare, Royal Jet's President and CEO, said:

"Although DRB has an impressive track record of upgrading about twenty five percent of the world's BBJs, the decision to use them came down to a number of selection criteria."

"Obviously high on our list were the company's capabilities in terms of engineering, workmanship, design and certification; but other factors such as ground and lead times were also very important to us, as were technical support post delivery. DRB scored well on all of these criteria," he continued.

"By the time we have upgraded our entire fleet of BBJs, the investment is likely to be in excess of $50m. The fact that we have decided to invest so much into this upgrade programme amply demonstrates the unequalled commitment we give to our customers and shows yet again why Royal Jet is the undisputed market leader in private aviation charter across the Middle East," O'Hare added.

Royal Jet has the largest BBJ fleet in the world and is the only operator of these ultra long range luxury aircraft in the Middle East. In addition to its five BBJs, it also operates Gulfstreams, Learjets and an Avro short-haul jet.