RIYADH – Saudi Arabia commands 60 percent of the air charter business in the Middle East, according to Private Jet Charter (PJC), one of the world's largest independent private jet charter brokers. Businessmen in Saudi Arabia make around 30 charter trips a year on an average. The air charter business in Saudi Arabia is gaining ground as a preferred and cost effective alternative to commercial air travel, it said. This was revealed during PJC's launch of its bilingual portal www.privatejetchartersaudi.com that is targeting the company's Saudi client base. Hugh Courtenay, Founder and Chief Executive, PJC, said: “We have created a dedicated portal for the Saudi market as KSA now accounts for approximately 60 percent of our regional market. We are proud to say that we are the only private jet company in the region with an online system that gives instant and accurate price quotations in several languages, including Arabic.” Courtenay said that PJC's clients make use of the company's global network as well as its personalized services, which are preferred by discerning travelers compared to regular commercial airline offerings. Ross Kelly, Managing Director for Middle East, PJC, added: “PJC has access to the largest and most comprehensive fleet of private jets anywhere in the world. We are the only private jet company with 8 different language sites, including Arabic. We are delighted that since the launch of the KSA version of the portal, we have seen a remarkable rise in online requests for private jets.” PJC has a network of offices in the UK, Nice and significant presence in the Middle East from a busy base in Dubai and presence in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. The organization also has offices in key charter hubs of Moscow and Florida. Courtenay says his company is pleased with the growing acceptance among its Saudi customers of the strategic benefits of charter jet services, particularly in terms of convenience and time savings. He added that clients were getting more tech savvy and the company's KSA portal has been designed to cater to their needs. Kelly said that the company's clients from Saudi Arabia come from all walks of life and from the widest range of areas of business, industry and commerce. “The launch of the Saudi version of our portal is an addition to the company's investment in information technology and high-tech solutions. At a very early stage, we developed a sophisticated state-of-the-art aircraft sourcing technology that enabled our aviation consultants to source available aircraft at the click of a mouse, by aircraft type, number of seats, year of manufacture and from any location in the world, which in turn provides our clients with instant details of the most suitable aircraft available, complete with indicative price,” Kelly added. “Launching the Saudi portal reinforces our commitment to make our charter services client-driven and tailored to our clients' requirements, so that they get a premium service against attractive fees," Courtenay said. — SG
