Demand for Royal Jet's private jet charter service dramatically increased during the Formula One Grand Prix held in Bahrain in April. President and ceo Shane O'Hare says that the number of bookings for the one event was unprecedented. "We flew in parties of all sizes to Bahrain for the Formula One races. For some we used our smaller Learjet 35, whilst for bigger parties we made use of our Gulfstream 300 and even our Boeing Business Jets made repeated trips across to Manama."

With most of the days' activities at the Grand Prix taking place between around 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., a majority of the hires were for day-return trips, with some of the clients requesting the service three days in a row.

"For corporate hospitality, where the impression given to clients starts the moment they are met in Abu Dhabi prior to flying them across to Bahrain, the ambience and efficiency of the flight is as important as their enjoyment of the Grand Prix itself," says O'Hare.

Abu Dhabi is staging its own Formula One next year. "We see Royal Jet as being in pole position to pick up yet more of this particular segment of the private hire aviation market," O'Hare predicts.