Khalek says three Challengers, an 850, 605 and 604, are being incorporated into the fleet which holds AOCs in Europe, North America, the Middle East and Bermuda. Gama Support Services (GSS) has now moved into the £1 million newly refurbished hangar facilities at London Farnborough.

Khalek says: “With the expansion of its EASA 145 capabilities, GSS now also manages maintenance for Gama Aviation’s entire European fleet. The increase in hangar space and workshop area to 2,300 sq m has not only catered for the upturn in third party work but also allowed the group to bring together its various maintenance, design and avionics companies in a centralised facility. The provision of Part M maintenance management services has increased substantially over the past 12 months with the team growing with demand.”

He says line maintenance facilities at Glasgow and Aberdeen enable GSS to support the Scottish Air Ambulance Service’s fixed wing fleet and many other third party clients.

Khalek adds: “2010 is shaping up to be a good year for GSS which benefits from providing a turn-key service ranging from guidance on the purchase of an aircraft to pre-delivery inspections, certification and modifications, and entry into service.”

via Gama expands aviation and support service.

Farnborough-based Gama, which expanded into North America in March 2008 with the acquisition of Privat­Air’s US arm, opened a sales office in the emirate of Sharjah in June. It recently added two more managed business jets – a Bombardier Challenger 605 and an 850 – to its single-aircraft fleet in the region.

“We will add the Challenger to the AOC as soon as we get it and the 850 will be added early in the new year,” says Gama Group general manager Dave Edwards, who has been heading company development in the region. He says the market for business aircraft has remained stable throughout the economic downturn with much of the demand coming from high-net-worth individuals mainly within the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

“This region has great potential,” Edwards adds. “We plan to grow our business here and will break ground early next year on a new fixed-base operation – the first in Sharjah.”

Gama manages and operates a fleet of 75 aircraft across its bases in the UK, North America and the Middle East, of which it owns eight.

“We are growing the business gradually in the Middle East and expect to add up to five more aircraft to our managed fleet here before the end of 2010,” it says.

via GAMA readies Sharjah operation for charter launch.

The additional aircraft, a Bombardier Challenger 605 and a Challenger 850 which are already both based in Dubai, join the company’s Sharjah-based Challenger 604 and means that Gama Aviation FZC, which announced its expansion plans for the region in November 2008 at the Middle East Business Aviation (MEBA) show, takes its regional fleet up to three aircraft.

The company is on course to achieve its UAE Air Operators Certificate in December and will focus initially on providing aircraft management and charter services before it expands significantly throughout the region into other aviation areas.

Dave Edwards, the Group’s General Manager, who has been heading the development in the region, commented:

“We’re absolutely delighted to be increasing our regional fleet with the addition of these two aircraft in Dubai, which cements our launch into the market here. For the past twelve months we’ve been steadily building the business and finalising plans for our FBO and hangar development at Sharjah International Airport, so to add two aircraft to our our startup fleet before our AOC is awarded is an incredibly positive leap forward in our plans.”

“Global recessions have always tended to bring out the best in businesses, and in our industry it’s no exception – the experience, 26 year history and international coverage we have as a group are virtually unrivalled in the modern market, certainly limiting it to only a very small handful of business aviation providers and we’re using all of those skills to bring new, focussed aircraft management and charter services to the region. We’re confident that the unique strengths we have both as a team and a group will be very beneficial for both aircraft owners and charter clients alike,” Dave added.

Marwan Abdel Khalek, the Group’s CEO, who founded the company in 1983 added, “The Middle East region has always been of central important to us, whether as a provider of customers as we’ve grown our business or as a very popular destination for our European and American fleets, so the development here is a natural progression for the group. Whilst we’re new to the region as a based operator, we’re certainly not new to the market and we’re keen to bring the exceptionally high standards we’re known for worldwide throughout all of our operating businesses to Gama Aviation FZC.”

“We’ve been able to grow our team in the region logically and by targeting exactly the right people we know who focus on the same ideals that we’ve have as a group – it provides the comfort and service that our customers demand. I’m delighted by the expansion and the opportunities it gives us to show our customers precisely the benefits Gama brings,” he added.

Richard Lineveldt, Gama Aviation FZC’s Operations Manager remarked, “Having worked in business aviation in the region for over five years I jumped at the opportunity to join Gama last year as news of the group’s expansion began to circulate. The experience we have as a team is exceptional and with the strong focus we have in aircraft management on our key areas of safety, security, customer service, efficiency and asset protection, means that we are clearly an attractive proposition for business aircraft owners who are looking for a new and fresh approach to running their aircraft – but without the risks usually involved in moving to an inexperienced start up operation.”

“It’s very refreshing for my team to be focussing on delivering what our aircraft owners actually want, not what the industry perceives they want. The hard work my entire team has put in over the past twelve months has been tremendous and we’re now anxiously awaiting our AOC award so we can push the business forward in a challenging yet rewarding market,” he added.

via Gama Aviation FZC grows regional management fleet | Gama Group | AMEinfo.com.