Gulfstream Fleet Grows in Fertile Middle East
More than 120 of the OEM's jets are now based in the region
Gulfstream Aerospaceā€™s G700 is making its return to MEBAA, but this time as a certified aircraft. The U.S. company has delivered several of the ultra-long-range jets to customers here in the Middle East since the model entered service in May. Ā© David McIntosh/AIN

Gulfstream Aerospace has had a presence in the Middle East for nearly 60 years, beginning with the GII jet, and there are now more than 120 Gulfstreams based there. President and CEO Mark Burns said the General Dynamics group company continues to see strong interest and robust demand in the region.

ā€œThe Gulfstream fleet in the Middle East has grown nearly 40% in the last decade, which means that more and more customers are operating our high-speed, long- and ultra-long-range aircraft, from the G650ER to the G500/600 and now G700 since its certification this past spring,ā€ he told AIN ahead of the MEBAA 2024 show.

ā€œTo that end, we are seeing year-over-year increases in longer duration flights out of the Middle East and more international destinations being reached as operators are taking advantage of Gulfstream capabilities. They are also taking advantage of being able to select an aircraft that precisely meets their mission requirements, whether that is flying direct from Dubai to Melbourne on a G600 or Dubai to New York on a G700.ā€

To support the fleet, Gulfstream Customer Support has dedicated field service representatives in the Middle East, as well as its Field and Airborne Support Teams mobile service. The company also maintains a parts inventory in the region in Dubai at sister company Jet Aviation, augmenting Gulfstreamā€™s parts distribution facility in Amsterdam that also supports the Middle East.

Additionally, Jet Aviation Dubai is a Gulfstream-authorized service center. Operators in the region also can take their aircraft to Gulfstreamā€™s Farnborough, UK service facility, which has approvals from several Middle Eastern countries.