Press Release
Issued by Gama Aviation.
May 19, 2015
New research from Gama Aviation (Stand V045), the global aviation services company, reveals that the European business aviation fleet now comprises 4,376 aircraft, accounting for 9.3% of global business aircraft.
The data also shows that the average size of aircraft based in Europe is growing. Of the 830 aircraft delivered between 2010 and 2014, 475 (57%) are medium, heavy or airliner jets. This compares with a figure of 41% for the existing European fleet, and 31% globally, showing that European demand for new aircraft is significantly shifting to the larger end of the market.
The countries taking delivery of the greatest number of bigger jets between 2010 and 2014 are Germany (68 medium, heavy or airliner jets) and the United Kingdom (65), which between them account for more than a quarter (28%) of this type of aircraft being added to the European fleet.
However, other nations have seen a greater proportional increase. Indeed, over 79% of deliveries to Austria over the last five years have been medium, heavy or larger jets, while the equivalent figure for Spain is 69%. Portugal and Italy have both seen these bigger aircraft account for 63% of deliveries over the same time period.
Gama Aviation believes that this shift towards larger aircraft will lead to an increase in demand for specialist aircraft management companies.
Marwan Khalek, ceo of Gama Aviation Plc commented: “The business aviation market in Europe is well-established and over recent years we have seen a significant increase in the number of clients switching to larger aircraft. They have proved the case for business aviation with smaller planes and are now extending the range of missions they can undertake by opting for larger cabin sizes.”
Gama Aviation believes that the majority of business aircraft across Europe will be performing a vital role for their owners, often allowing them to conduct multiple overseas trips in a short space of time. However, it also warns that the larger the business aircraft, the greater the expertise needed to manage and maintain it properly and these new deliveries, coupled with the increase in average size of aircraft and the growth in daily flights over the last five years, will all lead to increased demand for an integrated management platform to ensure that every detail of aircraft management is adhered to.
Marwan Khalek continued: “We believe that our strong presence across Europe provides us with the opportunity to meet that demand. We are seeing a lot of clients operating at the larger end of the market as they carry out longer range missions. Our scale and global coverage allows us to provide them with the certainty and security of an end to end service, offering them a consistently high level of support.”
With 830 business aircraft being delivered to Europe between 2010 and 2014, the result is that 19% of the European fleet is less than five years old. This is significantly better than the global average, where the corresponding figure is 12.4%. These aircraft are being bought to meet rising demand – the European fleet covers an average of 984 flights each day – an increase of 5.6% on five years ago.
Gama Aviation believes the increase in demand for larger jets and the growth in the number of daily flights is an indication of the continued strength of the European business aviation.
Gama Aviation is exhibiting at EBACE for the first time since completing a reverse takeover of Hangar 8 plc and being listed on the London Stock Exchange. It is exhibiting at stand V045 at EBACE 2015, which runs from 19th to 21st May at Palexpo in Geneva International Airport, Switzerland.
