Saudi aviation company, NAS, emerges as significant MidEast player with 98 new aircraft orders

28 June 2007

The acquisitions would also take NAS's fleet size to 142 aircraft, from its current 44.

"Following the signing of a number of purchase agreements, NAS will increase its fleet size to include 142 over the next five years, thus becoming one of the most significant companies operating in the commercial and private aviation sectors in the Middle East," Al-Jeaid said.

Al-Jeaid said that NAS finalized four of the biggest deals, in terms of quantity and quality, made by the private sector in the history of aviation markets in the Middle East in the first half of 2007.

"The latest of these deals was announced during the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget where NAS signed agreements with Airbus for the purchase of 38 Airbus 320 aircraft valued above Saudi Riyal (SR) 9 billion (US$2.39 billion), and with Dassault Falcon to buy 20 of its new large cabin business jet, the Falcon 2000LX, for over SR1.9 billion (US$500 million)," he said.

He added that last month, NAS also announced a similar deal with Gulfstream Aerospace Company to buy 20 long-range G450 business jets at a cost of SR2.6 billion (US$692 million), only four months after the company purchased 20 new Hawker 750 aircraft from Raytheon at a cost of SR1 billion (US$266 million).

National Air Services
NAS, an independent provider of aviation services in the Middle East, is the region's sole provider of both commercial and private aviation services through four distinct strategic business units. These business units offer customers varied solutions for their aviation needs.

NAS is also the Middle East representative of NetJets, offering fractional ownership and leasing options, and has been providing this service for the last six years along with full portfolio of aircraft management services solutions.