International Air Charter to concentrate efforts on markets beyond GCC

As part of its strategy, the company will attend the forthcoming Mediterranean Travel Fair (MTF) being held between September 14 and 16, 2004 at the Cairo International Convention and Exhibition Centre, Egypt. The company is seeking to network and forge alliances with travel agents, tours groups as well as encourage new operators to explore the Middle East air charter industry.

Speaking about this initiative, Elie Abdo, Director of Business Development, International Air Charter plc stated, "We are looking forward to use our presence at MTF to explore business potential in the Middle East and North Africa. As local business groups expand their operations across the MENA region, we foresee an increasing demand for inter-regional travel."

Elaborating further, Abdo said, "Egypt's strategic location between the Levant and North Africa makes it an attractive location for the air charter industry. The country's own booming economy especially in the IT industry has also resulted in an increase in business travel, both in the domestic and international sector with the entry of multi-national corporations (MNCs). "

"As independent brokers with the ability to source aircraft from anywhere in the world at short notice, International Air Charter is well-positioned to cater to their travel requirements, be it from the West to the Middle East or vice-versa. We are able to offer our clients extremely cost-effective solutions by sourcing an aircraft closest to their location. Moreover, with charter air travel, busy corporate clients enjoy the advantage of traveling their own pace, without the inconvenience of connecting flights or delays," he continued.

"There is another aspect to our presence at MTF. Trade fairs and exhibitions offer a platform to meet with potential business partners. As a broker, our business is largely dependent on the availability of aircraft, a factor that we feel needs to be improved on in the region. For example, in the recent summer months we have seen demand far outstripping supply as more families and affluent Western expatriates are travelling back home," said Abdo.

"As more countries in the region progress towards becoming tourism and business centers in their own right, the demand for specialized services like ours will increase. The entry of more aircraft operators will help fuel the already growing demand and propel the region's air charter industry towards further growth. We have already had fruitful discussions with a few aircraft operators during the recent Farnborough travel show, who are looking at exploring this region," he concluded.