“It was a status symbol; now it is a tool,” says Matteo Atti, VistaJet’s chief marketing officer, about shifting attitudes towards private jet travel.
Long considered a preserve of the very few, private aviation experienced a dramatic shift as a result of the pandemic. Pre-2020, the industry experienced an average annual growth of between two and five per cent. “It was quite a conservative market, as you might expect from very expensive items,” says Atti.
“Ninety per cent of people who could fly private before, never did. They would say: ‘We have the means, but we would rather spend the money somewhere else.’ It was not a necessity, unless you were a personality with privacy concerns.”
The cabin has been designed as a home away from home, but also as a boardroom in the sky
Matteo Atti,
chief marketing officer, VistaJet
And then Covid-19 hit. In an uncertain landscape, private aviation offered reliability, consistency, control and social distancing. “When commercial travel went down, business jets said: ‘If you want continuity, this is the way to do it.’ And people were really looking for business continuity during the pandemic.”
Last year, VistaJet’s global revenue increased by 50 per cent compared to 2021. The number of flights operated by the company increased by 28 per cent, with the Middle East accounting for solid growth. Saudi Arabia witnessed a 72 per cent increase in flights year-on-year, while Qatar experienced an increase of 146 per cent, largely due to the Fifa World Cup. Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport was the most frequented airport in the Middle East for VistaJet members, and the sixth globally. The airline’s clients include royal families, heads of state, ultrahigh-net-worth individuals and leaders.
“Last year established the region as the power centre that is growing the most in the world. If you look at the US, it has been quite flat, Europe is reducing, Russia has disappeared and the Gulf has taken over. We’ve seen a lot more power in the region. And, as a result, we’ve seen our numbers organically skyrocket.”
This upward trend shows no sign of abating. Once you become used to the ease, flexibility and comfort of a private jet, it is difficult to go back to more traditional means of travel, it seems. “People will switch from work mode to family mode to celebration mode to time with friends in a second,” Atti notes. “The cabin has been designed as a home away from home, but also as a boardroom in the sky.
You might expect to pay $10,000 to $25,000 per hour, depending on all the variables
Matteo Atti
“They take video calls from there, or do board meetings. We’ve just finished refitting the entire fleet so the Wi-Fi is almost as good as home. It’s a gigantic infrastructure – thousands of satellites ensuring global coverage.”
VistaJet’s ultra-plush Bombardier Global 7500, the world’s largest and longest-range business jet, features four distinct living spaces, including a full-size kitchen and a bedroom. Throw in food by Michelin-lauded chefs and crew who have been trained by the British Butler Institute, and it’s no surprise customers are not rushing back to the drudgery of commercial travel.
On the ground, VistaJet offers access to Private World, a network of 600 partners that tap into clients’ “passion points”, from luxury hotels to experiences and benefits in the worlds of yachting, motorsports, arts, culture, horology and so on. “This generates memories and brings us a bit closer to our customer. So we are more than a commodity. It shows we are a partner, not a train company.”
With a fleet of 360 aircraft that also includes Global 6000 and 5000s, and Challenger 850, 605 and 350s, VistaJet offers a hassle-free alternative to private jet ownership. “We can fly you anywhere in 24 hours. We have the largest coverage area in the world. That’s a big simplification of your life,” says Atti. “We give you a flat rate, wherever you want to go.
“The price is bespoke, depending on what you require. What type of aircraft, what type of service, which route you do, how often you fly, how many hours you buy. You might expect to pay $10,000 to $25,000 per hour, depending on all these variables.
“You come in on a three-year contract, with 50 hours per year. So you are buying a minimum of 150 hours. An aircraft, if privately owned, normally flies between 150 and 250 hours per year. That’s for heavy flyers. We give you a price that is up to 35 per cent better, even if you fly up to 400 hours. That is the point, 400 hours, where having your own aircraft might make more sense, in terms of pricing, not ease.”
VistaJet operates a floating fleet model, rather than the more traditional home base or hub approach. That means planes do not have to return to their original point of departure – they just travel on to the next place they are needed, resulting in a more efficient operation. This ties in with the brand’s attempts to be as sustainable as possible. Atti acknowledges that “we have a big target on our back because we are so visible as a luxury treat”, but VistaJet is aiming to be entirely carbon neutral, across the business, by 2025, through a mix of emissions offsetting and reductions.
Since the company introduced offsets to customers in January 2020, more than 85 per cent of the airline’s members have opted to compensate for their fuel-use-related emissions by investing in certified carbon credits around the world. VistaJet has also been investing in sustainable aviation fuels and has purchased shares in a company specialising in hybrid flights that combine electric and combustion engines.
“Saf can reduce 80 per cent of emissions. You can add the stabilisation of wings, which can reduce another five to 10 per cent of emissions. We have AI helping us on routing – we have managed to reduce eight per cent of emissions just by doing better routing. We’re not saving the world, but we are definitely evolving faster than anyone else and we are the most committed to it. So we are always going to be at the forefront,” Atti says.
At grassroots level, the brand is also encouraging its customers to be more mindful in how they travel, says Atti. “This is a real privilege and it needs to be treated with care.”
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Swiss fly direct from the UAE to Zurich from Dh2,855 return, including taxes.
The chalet
Chalet N is currently open in winter only, between now and April 21. During the ski season, starting on December 11, a week’s rental costs from €210,000 (Dh898,431) per week for the whole property, which has 22 beds in total, across six suites, three double rooms and a children’s suite. The price includes all scheduled meals, a week’s ski pass, Wi-Fi, parking, transfers between Munich, Innsbruck or Zurich airports and one 50-minute massage per person. Private ski lessons cost from €360 (Dh1,541) per day. Halal food is available on request.
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
Brief scoreline:
Al Wahda 2
Al Menhali 27', Tagliabue 79'
Al Nassr 3
Hamdallah 41', Giuliano 45 1', 62'
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Indika
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Key changes
Commission caps
For life insurance products with a savings component, Peter Hodgins of Clyde & Co said different caps apply to the saving and protection elements:
• For the saving component, a cap of 4.5 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 90 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• On the protection component, there is a cap of 10 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 160 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• Indemnity commission, the amount of commission that can be advanced to a product salesperson, can be 50 per cent of the annualised premium for the first year or 50 per cent of the total commissions on the policy calculated.
• The remaining commission after deduction of the indemnity commission is paid equally over the premium payment term.
• For pure protection products, which only offer a life insurance component, the maximum commission will be 10 per cent of the annualised premium multiplied by the length of the policy in years.
Disclosure
Customers must now be provided with a full illustration of the product they are buying to ensure they understand the potential returns on savings products as well as the effects of any charges. There is also a “free-look” period of 30 days, where insurers must provide a full refund if the buyer wishes to cancel the policy.
“The illustration should provide for at least two scenarios to illustrate the performance of the product,” said Mr Hodgins. “All illustrations are required to be signed by the customer.”
Another illustration must outline surrender charges to ensure they understand the costs of exiting a fixed-term product early.
Illustrations must also be kept updatedand insurers must provide information on the top five investment funds available annually, including at least five years' performance data.
“This may be segregated based on the risk appetite of the customer (in which case, the top five funds for each segment must be provided),” said Mr Hodgins.
Product providers must also disclose the ratio of protection benefit to savings benefits. If a protection benefit ratio is less than 10 per cent "the product must carry a warning stating that it has limited or no protection benefit" Mr Hodgins added.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
HWJN
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PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Watford v Leicester City (3.30pm)
Brighton v Arsenal (6pm)
West Ham v Wolves (8.30pm)
Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (10.45pm)
Sunday
Newcastle United v Sheffield United (5pm)
Aston Villa v Chelsea (7.15pm)
Everton v Liverpool (10pm)
Monday
Manchester City v Burnley (11pm)
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
BELGIUM%20SQUAD
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Scoreline
UAE 2-1 Saudi Arabia
UAE Mabkhout 21’, Khalil 59’
Saudi Al Abed (pen) 20’
Man of the match Ahmed Khalil (UAE)
Bert van Marwijk factfile
Born: May 19 1952
Place of birth: Deventer, Netherlands
Playing position: Midfielder
Teams managed:
1998-2000 Fortuna Sittard
2000-2004 Feyenoord
2004-2006 Borussia Dortmund
2007-2008 Feyenoord
2008-2012 Netherlands
2013-2014 Hamburg
2015-2017 Saudi Arabia
2018 Australia
Major honours (manager):
2001/02 Uefa Cup, Feyenoord
2007/08 KNVB Cup, Feyenoord
World Cup runner-up, Netherlands
