October 28, 2024
The Diamond Agreement provides fixed rates and guaranteed availability starting at 50 hours on Qatar Executive.
Qatar Airways Qatar Executive division is set to launch a fixed-rate, guaranteed lease program starting at 50 occupied hours. An official announcement is expected later today.
According to the charter operator’s website, there is no minimum term and no maximum carryover of occupied hours.
The Diamond Agreement carries guaranteed availability with 72 hours notice, fixed rates, no ferry fees, peak or blackout dates. Onboard WiFi usage, deicing, and inflight catering are all included.
Pets are allowed, as is smoking on request, and the program will be available across all its aircraft types.
In an interview with Executive Traveler, a Qatar Executive official calls The Diamond Agreement a cross between jet cards and on-demand charter.
Qatar Executive’s current charter fleet includes the Gulfstream G650ER, G500, Bombardier Challenger 605, Global 5000, and Global XRS.
The operator was founded in 2009. Last year, it announced became the global launch customer for the Gulfstream G700. Flexjet is the aircraft’s U.S. launch customer.
At the time, the Qatar Airways group CEO Akbar Al Baker said of the G700, “Qatar Executive’s customers have extremely high standards, and this aircraft will help us meet their requirements by delivering unrivaled performance that complements our excellence in customer service.”
In July 2019, in a ceremony at The White House in Washington D.C., Qatar Executive announced a billion-dollar order for 14 additional Gulfstream G650ERs and four Gulfstream G500s.
Back then, Qatar said its fleet stood at six G650ERs, four G500s, three Challenger 605s, four Global 5000s, and one Global XRS.
Qatar Airways had been an investor in JetSuite before it grounded its fleet and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this year. It is thought to still hold a stake in JSX. The related company continues to operate scheduled flights between private terminals using regional jets in a corporate shuttle configuration.
At one point, Qatar had planned to use JetSuite to operate some of its new G500s in the U.S. It’s not clear if The Diamond Agreement will also target customers in Europe, Asia or other parts of the globe.
A Qatar Executive official told the Australian business travel website that its floating fleet is based around the world. He said, “At any one time, there could be a number (of jets) in each region.”
He added, “Into and out of Australia, the biggest destinations are the US, Hong Kong, Japan, China, Indonesia, and Singapore,
Like VistaJet’s Program, its version of a jet card, pricing is customized based on the needs of each customer.
Recently, major players have been stepping up their presence in the Gulf region.
Last October, NetJets said it was expanding in the Middle East. Plans called for opening a Dubai sales office earlier this year. At the time, Michael Graham of NetJets told a local paper it had 50 customers in the region and wanted to add 15 to 20 per year.
Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates are in the Ferry Waiver Zone for NetJets, Challenger 350, Falcon 200EX, Gulfstream G550, and Global 6000 programs.
Air Partner, which offers fixed-rate jet card programs for clients in North America, Europe, and the Middle East, last year opened a Dubai sales office in November.
Earlier this year, VistaJet said after opening a dedicated Middle East office, numbers for flights, passengers, and new clients joining the VistaJet Program surged by 24%, 35%, and 26% respectively.
The UAE registered the majority of flights in the region. The Emirates saw a 21% increase in flights, trailing only Saudi Arabia for regional flights, which experienced a 41% growth, according to the private jet charter operator.
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