As Covid-induced air travel restrictions begin to ease, DC Aviation Al Futtaim (DCAF) is reporting an uptick in its private aircraft operations at Dubai Al Maktoum International Airport. The company, a joint venture between German business jet operator DC Aviation and privately-owned UAE business group Al-Futtaim, provides FBO, MRO, and aircraft charter services.

DCAF credits the rise to several factors, including local government tourism initiatives, strengthening business activity across the wider region, and once-premium commercial passengers who are now looking to fly on private jets due to safety and health concerns.

“After the lockdown eased in May, we witnessed an increase in the number of charter inquiries and bookings,” said DCAF managing director Holger Ostheimer, adding that the initial push was simply people looking to return to their home countries. “As more countries started to open up their borders, we started to see more leisure travelers. He noted that holiday destinations such as the Maldives are now trending upwards again, along with visitors from the CIS and Russia coming to the UAE for the winter months, and he is optimistic for the first quarter of 2021.

On the MRO front, DCAF saw an increase due to manufacturer requirements for inactive aircraft checks along with routine maintenance on airplanes that were grounded during the lockdown period, as well as return-to-service checks in preparation to resume operations.