Vertis Aviation to open first Middle East office in Dubai.

Monday 11th November 2013

Swiss-based Vertis Aviation, part of the independently owned aviation company 28 East Group, announced today that as part of its international expansion strategy it will open a new Dubai branch of its aviation charter business in January 2014. Located in the Free Zone at Dubai World Central, DWC, Vertis is aiming to capitalise on the development of business aviation at the airport, and develop a broader customer network within the countries that form the Gulf Cooperation Council, GCC.

The office will be run by Catherine Buchanan who as General Manager will be responsible for managing the development of the boutique charter brokerage service and strengthening the Vertis brand in the region. Catherine will offer the Vertis fleet, marketed on behalf of its operating partners, to existing and new clients. Catherine has worked in the Middle Eastern aviation market for over five years with leading international business aviation companies and prior to joining Vertis was head of brokerage services for Royal Jet. She is well positioned to support Vertis having a strong network of contacts, valuable experience and a breadth of knowledge about business aviation in the region. Catherine holds a degree in Aviation Technology and a private pilot's licence so also brings a genuine passion for aviation to the business.

Jeffrey Emmenis, Vertis Aviation partner commented:  "The decision to open an office in the region was driven by the fact that the GCC is our biggest market and we already have strong relationships with clients in Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain the UAE and Qatar. The region continues to offer a buoyant, dynamic commercial environment that appreciates the value of business aviation. It has a strong international outlook and recognises the benefits of working with reliable charter providers. Applying our existing business model to this significant private charter sector provides a great opportunity for Vertis."

Catherine commented, "With executive aviation moving away from Dubai International Airport to the new Dubai World Central- Al Maktoum International Airport the aviation landscape is changing. The region values bespoke service and the boutique-style model which Vertis provides will be extremely attractive for our customer base. The clients in this region expect to be well cared for and the Vertis reputation for attention to detail, combined with its luxury brand, provides a great platform from which to develop new business."

Vertis markets seven long range, large cabin aircraft to clients; a Bombardier Global 6000, two Airbus A319 corporate jets, two Bombardier Global XRS aircraft, a Bombardier Global Express, and a Dassault Falcon 7X. The large cabin, long range fleet will be well received by customers from the GCC and Vertis anticipates clients will include royalty, heads of state, government officials and CEOs of large international conglomerates needing comfort, reliability and long range capability.

Based in Zug, Switzerland, sister company Vertis Aviation will continue to focus on the operations side of the business which sees the company forming marketing alliances with preferred suppliers and leading aircraft operators to create a premiere fleet of aircraft that can be offered for private and corporate charter. Vertis Aviation Ltd operates from an exclusive central London location and provides bespoke aviation services to ultra high net worth individuals from all over the world.

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