News & Press

15.11.2011 - Joint Venture between Al Futtaim Group and DC Aviation confirmed

Hangar structure operational in April 2012 / Service portfolio rounded up by VIP lounge facilities and aircraft charter operation
 
After 3 years of planning, one of the UAE's business leaders, the Al Futtaim Group, and DC Aviation, Germany's top address in business aviation have put into reality their intention of forming a new competence center servicing business jets.

Omar Al Futtaim, Vice Chairman of the Al Futtaim Group and Michael Kuhn, CEO of DC Aviation recently confirmed the Joint Venture.

The company is currently commissioning a hangar structure due to going operational in April 2012, at DWC Al Maktoum Intl. Airport. The facility will be home to their future UAE air operator certificate as well as a line maintenance operation. The service portfolio will be rounded up by VIP lounge facilities and an aircraft charter operation. With a hangar area second to none in the UAE the operation will be particularly interesting for aircraft management clients owning Airbus 319 Jets and equivalent aircraft types.

About Al-Futtaim
Established in the 1930s, Al-Futtaim initially operated as a trading company. Rapid development throughout the 1940s and 1950s saw the company establish itself regionally as an integrated commercial, industrial and services organisation, positioning itself as one of the leading businesses in the lower Gulf region. Headquartered in Dubai, UAE, Al-Futtaim is structured into several operational divisions including; Automotive; Engineering, Electronics & Technologies; Retail; Financial Services; General Services; Real Estate; Leisure and Joint Ventures. Al-Futtaim operates through nearly 70 companies in sectors as diverse as commerce, industry and services, and employs in excess of 20,000 people across the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Pakistan, Singapore, Malaysia and Europe. The majority of businesses, built on a portfolio of world leading brands, dominate their sector. The success of Al-Futtaim is attributed to proactively managing change while upholding the values of integrity, service and social responsibility.

About DC Aviation
DC Aviation GmbH, with its headquarters in Stuttgart, is the leading provider of business jets in Germany and is one of the leading operating companies in Europe.  In 2007, DC Aviation was created from the former DaimlerChrysler Aviation, a daughter of DaimlerChrysler AG.  Today, DC Aviation offers the entire portfolio from airplane management to airplane charter, and including servicing business jets.  The young fleet extends from the modern short-distance jet Learjet 40, via mid and long distance jets like the Gulfstream G450/G550, to the VVIP Airbus 319 CJ.  With four VVIP/VIP Airbus A319 CJ airplanes, the company is among the largest operators of this type of airplane worldwide.  In July 2007, the company obtained the international “IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA)” certificate, as the first German provider of private jets.  Recertification is to occur in May 2009, respectively 2011.  The IOSA certificate serves as a seal of flight safety quality in the world of air transportation, and is provided by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) within the framework of an audit.