MenaJet takes to the skies with inaugural chartered flight from Beirut to Dalaman in Turkey

The debut chartered commercial flight, undertaken by MenaJet on behalf of Lebanese tour operator Nakhal, took off with a full payload of 155 passengers hours after the aircraft was received at Beirut International Airport by senior officials, representatives of MenaJet, and of its two principal shareholders, the Bahrain-based Islamic investment bank, Gulf Finance House B.S.C. and the Al Zamil Group on late Thursday evening.

Prior to the departure of MenaJet's inaugural flight to Dalaman, Captain Riad Mohammed Mikaoui, Chief Executive Officer, MenaJet, who oversaw the new aircraft's incoming flight to Beirut from Bordeaux in France, said: "MenaJet's debut flight today marks the commencement of an exciting new chapter within the aviation sector in the region. MenaJet, which will initially focus on flying to high-density destinations in the region, will gradually expand its routes to cover other destinations as well".

MenaJet is targeting continued growth in intra-Arab travel, which has been singled out as one of the fastest growing aviation markets in the world. According to The Airports Council International, which monitors passenger and cargo movements in 760 of the world's major airports, although passenger numbers were down by almost 3 per cent in North America, and remained flat in Europe in 2002, the Middle East recorded growth of 5 per cent during the same year.

"At the core of the MenaJet value proposition is transparency in operations, cutting-edge efficiency in service, and optimizing flight comforts in line with global standards," Captain Mikaoui further added.

Commenting on the airline's choice of the A320 for its first aircraft, Mr. Mazen Hajjar, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), MenaJet said: "We found A320 to be the right choice for our short to medium haul operations, packing comfort with new-age facilities, adding to the overall value proposition of MenaJet. The Airbus family of A320s has been widely acclaimed world over as the leader in the single-aisle class, helping us provide optimum comforts at the right price to the increasing number of value-driven customers in the region."

The roomy A320s which fly on digital fly-by-wire control systems comes with advanced features such as fuel-saving wingtip fences, weight saving composites, and have been chosen till date by over 160 customers and operators across the world. Firm orders for the Airbus A320 family stand at some 3,200 aircraft, more than 2,200 of which have been delivered to date.

"In line with our focus on superior passenger comforts, the new A320 will offer a spacious leg-room of 34 inches. MenaJet's aim is to match spacious cabin and cutting-edge quality and promptness in services with attractive economics," Mr. Hajjar concluded.

Coinciding with the inaugural flight, MenaJet also launched its website, menajet.com, an interactive portal which will offer a range of online services to passengers.

Commenting on MenaJet kicking off its operations with the newly acquired aircraft, Mr. Ahmed Al-Qattan, Chief Investment Officer of GFH said: "We are excited and proud about MenaJet beginning its operations and we look forward to the airline expanding its service to cover more destinations in the region."

"This is an exciting time for the region's airline industry and confidence is high," he added.

MenaJet now sports an all-new dynamic corporate identity and the new A320 will don a vibrant and colourful livery, reflecting the quality the airline will bring into its day-to-day operations.