News Release
SARAYA AVIATION ORDERS THREE GULFSTREAM G450 BUSINESS JETS FOR ITS NEW CHARTER OPERATIONS
G450 Aircraft To Offer Safety, Reliability and Comfort To Leisure and
Business Passengers Traveling To and From the Middle East to
Destinations Around the World.
SAVANNAH , Ga. , Nov. 11, 2007 – Saraya Aviation has purchased three long-range Gulfstream G450 business jets to provide long-range flights for its new charter flight operation. The G450s will transport private individuals and groups, corporate executives and government officials traveling around the world. Saraya Aviation, which formed earlier this year, will receive the three G450s in early 2010. In advance of those deliveries, it will begin operating its air charter service next year with its existing fleet of smaller charter aircraft.
Saraya Aviation is based in Abu Dhabi with branch offices in Dubai, Amman and Riyadh. Its charter aircraft will be based at various airports according to demand. Saraya Aviation is an air-charter company within Saraya Holdings, a real estate development and asset management company investing in the travel and tourism industry worldwide.
“Saraya Aviation has purchased three Gulfstream G450 aircraft to enhance its elite fleet of charter planes. These new aircraft complement our strategy of maintaining a presence beyond the Middle East, North Africa (MENA) region by offering leisure destinations and exciting air charter services to clients worldwide,” said Ali Kolaghassi, Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of Saraya Holdings. “We are confident the safety, reliability and comfort of the G450, along with the support of the Gulfstream name, will serve Saraya Aviation and its customers extremely well.”
Gulfstream President Joseph T. Lombardo explained the significance of the Saraya Aviation purchase. “We are pleased that Saraya Aviation has chosen three long-range G450s to add to its air charter fleet of aircraft,” he said. “Like Saraya Holdings, we believe the demand for charter air travel will continue to rise. Also like Saraya, we are dedicated to offering only the best for our customers. We look forward to working with Saraya Aviation as they expand their enterprise.”
The demand for Gulfstream aircraft outside the United States is rising significantly. Historically, Gulfstream sold the majority of its aircraft to North American-based operators. More recently, the majority of aircraft sold in the first three quarters of this year were to customers outside the United States. The Middle East, Europe, India and Asia-Pacific markets continue to show significant growth, according to Lombardo.
Powered by two Rolls-Royce Tay Mk 611-8C engines, the G450 can fly 4,350 nautical miles nonstop and at speeds of up to 0.88 Mach. From Amman, the G450 can fly nonstop to London, Moscow, Beijing, Bangkok or Johannesburg. One of the most dependable aircraft of its class, the Gulfstream G450 has a dispatch reliability rate of 99.76 percent. The G450 features PlaneView ®, the most advanced flight deck in its class, and the Gulfstream Enhanced Vision System (EVS) as standard equipment. Typically outfitted for eight passengers, the G450 provides a comfortable cabin that serves equally well as an airborne office for business travelers or a private retreat for leisure travelers.
NOTE TO EDITORS
Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), designs, develops, manufactures, markets, services and supports the world's most technologically advanced business-jet aircraft. Gulfstream has produced some 1,600 aircraft for customers around the world since 1958. To meet the diverse transportation needs of the future, Gulfstream offers a comprehensive fleet of aircraft, comprising the wide-cabin, high-speed Gulfstream G150®; the large-cabin, mid-range Gulfstream G200®; the large-cabin, mid-range Gulfstream G350®; the large-cabin, long-range G450®; the large-cabin, ultra-long-range Gulfstream G500® and the large-cabin, ultra-long-range Gulfstream G550®. Gulfstream also offers aircraft ownership services via Gulfstream Financial Services Division and Gulfstream Pre-Owned Aircraft Sales®. The company employs more than 9,100 people at seven major locations. We invite you to visit our Web site for more information and photos of Gulfstream aircraft at www.gulfstream.com.
General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, employs approximately 82,900 people worldwide and anticipates 2007 revenues of more than $27 billion. The company is a market leader in business aviation; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and information systems and technologies. More information about the company is available online at www.generaldynamics.com.
