The UAE's business aviation sector has a gap at the small end of the fleet, according to Ali Alnaqbi, Executive Chairman of Mebaa, the Middle East and North Africa Business Aviation Association, and closing it could shape the industry's next stage of growth.
Alnaqbi says the market here is dominated by larger aircraft, while what many business travellers actually need for shorter regional hops is something smaller and cheaper to charter. "We are in a great market now," he said, "but I'm not satisfied. I've been in the market (for years) and I'm not satisfied because we don't have the right aircraft."
The case for smaller aircraft
He points to the US and Europe, where charter flights on smaller aircraft cost a fraction of what a business-class seat on a wide-body airliner would run. That price gap, he suggests, is not reflected in the UAE market, where the fleet mix leans heavily toward bigger jets better suited to long-haul travel than to quick trips across the region.
Alnaqbi has been pushing for a fix for a decade. "We don't have those aircraft here," he said. "I've been calling for the last 10 years to create a small aircraft company, what you call air taxi." His argument is straightforward: shorter regional business trips are being served by aircraft designed for a different kind of journey, and a dedicated small-aircraft or air-taxi operation would better match how executives actually move around the region.
Airline suspensions and a political read
Alnaqbi also addressed the broader picture of aviation access to the region, noting that some international airlines have suspended flights. He described those suspensions as political rather than operational calls. "For me, I see no reason to stop, as I've been in aviation for 35 years now," he said. "I see no reason to stop, but it's a political decision that is unjustified. You can't put a reason behind it. That's it."
His comments carry weight given his tenure in the industry, spanning 35 years, and his role leading Mebaa, the regional body representing business aviation interests across the Middle East and North Africa.
What's next
The conversation around fleet composition and market access is expected to feature at the Mebaa show, scheduled for December 8 to 10 at the Dubai World Central Dubai Airshow site. The event brings together the region's business aviation community at a moment when Alnaqbi is renewing his call for smaller aircraft to be added to the mix.
For UAE-based executives and companies that rely on regional business travel, the debate matters because it goes to the cost and convenience of short-haul trips. If smaller aircraft or an air-taxi model were to take hold, as Alnaqbi has long advocated, it could change how business travel within the region is priced and organised, though for now the market remains centred on larger aircraft built for longer routes.
