EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW: ANDRÉ EBACH, MANAGING DIRECTOR, AERO-DIENST GMBH

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What are the key predictions in the business aviation market in the region, in terms of growth, challenges and opportunities?

• Growth: Business Aviation in Middle East growth rapidly despite some political crisis in the region. The deliveries are projected with 9 Billion USD from 2024 to 2032. The quantity of high-net worth individuals is significant especially in Saud Arabia and UAE. We also see that the region is pushing the SAF production and can get a key role in the production of SAF.
• Opportunities: Middle East is one of the hotspots of sustainable Mobility like Advanced Air Mobility (EVTOLS) and SAF. We are following this very closely.

Why is the Middle East considered an important growth market for your business?

Business Aviation proofed to be resilient especially during Covid and business aviation activity was on a high level. With the war in Ukraine, this effect has even intensified, and we therefore expect that the corporate travel demand will remain on a very high level. As a result, we already see quite a number of initially European operated and registered aircraft, now primary operated in Middle East region. As we focus on a close contact and relationship with our customers, we see MEBAA as an absolute necessity. 

Are there specific geographical regions where you see significant opportunities for expansion or exploration? How is the appetite from Saudi Arabia and India ?

Beside Middle East which is a well-known market for us already, we also have a look at the Indian market as we see high potential there.

Which technologies do you anticipate will have the most significant impact on the business aviation industry over the next five years?

As of today, digitalization and especially AI are only at its very beginning, but there is already major discussion especially at the industry’s airshows about this topic. AI and its integration into maintenance, operation and also the cockpit will be very interesting to see. It may does not play a crucial role within the next 5 years but certainly in the next 10 years.

What aspects of this year’s MEBAA Show are you most excited about? Are there specific individuals or companies you hope to connect with ?

We are excited to meet our valued customers. This is the main reason for attending the show. Beside this we are very interested in the sustainable aviation projects. Because Aero-Dienst already regularly operates some of the aircraft in its fleet with sustainable aviation fuel.

Are the needs and preferences of clients in the Middle East market different ? Do you need to tailor your products and services for the region?

At Aero-Dienst every maintenance project is tailor made to customer needs. This requires a very close relationship and cooperation with our customers. Our strategy to open a facility in Munich, some years ago, reflects this. We value close contact and agile flexible setups which resulted in a new station just 150km from our headquarter in Nuremberg. The huge success of this station shows that the clients do not want to be one project out of many others. They value the close cooperation and the resulting tailor-made solutions by us. So “yes” we do have tailor made products, but this is not related to a specific region.