Egypt's Spot Air plans to acquire a Hawker 800 later this year for its wholly owned air taxi start-up EU Air. Mohamed Hamed, ceo, says Cairo-based EU Air may look for a second Hawker 800, depending on the success of the operation.

"We are now evaluating a couple of aircraft," he says, adding that the initial Hawker 800 could be used to offer direct flights to European cities including London.

EU Air will, however, primarily offer domestic flights in Egypt and services to the Gulf and Middle East region. Hamed meanwhile plans to open an office in London by 1 July to market Spot Air and

EU Air's services to European clients. As well as two Hawker 800s EU Air plans to operate a GIII and an A320-200.

"These aircraft will all be based in Egypt and operate in the Middle East but we are well aware of the demand for services into Europe and will be catering for this expanded market," says Hamed. "We are doing business in Europe already but we expect demand to increase as we raise our company's profile through the London office opening this summer."

Spot Air is focusing on building its UK and US client base. "There is a good demand for charter into Egypt from sophisticated individuals who want an operator with a good knowledge of the country," says Hamed. "Next year we plan to open offices in Bahrain and Amman in Jordan so that we can draw clients from a wider Middle East region."