Traveling on a private jet from Dubai to watch the World Cup match in Doha can cost as much as 240,000 dirhams as die-hard fans, who can afford it, seek out every possible transport option.
“Some customers are a group of friends, some are ardent fans, some are family and some are corporate customers,” said Safik Dirkashli, Vice President of Aircraft Charter at Jetex. "If friends split the cost, it comes out to 24,000 dirhams per passenger."
A typical charter private jet can hold up to 10 passengers.However, the last card has been split, and the month for private jet operators in the UAE is going to be a busy month, with most flying requests coming in for the quarter-finals, semi-finals and championship finals. According to Dirkli, VIP football fans booked more than 45 private jets for matches during the tournament's opening week. "We've booked some flights to go on opening day."
Anticipating high demand, Jetex has converted its VIP terminal at Dubai World Central into a fan zone decorated with an indoor mini soccer field and various other gaming-related paraphernalia. He added, “We hope to run at least two courses a day.
Meanwhile, Holger Ostheimer, CEO of DC Aviation Al-Futtaim, said: “We have seen a sharp increase in requests for charter flights to Doha since June this year. Our aircraft charter orders grew 22% month-over-month in October, and this trend continues."
