Does not know the one who did not fly

Jumeirah Embankment, turn onto Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Hotel, drop into the territory of dubai Marina CLub. Today, journalists are not just waiting for a regular press conference, they promised us to arrange something unforgettable, impressive and amazing. Two leading companies, each one of them in their field, made a strategically important decision - to combine their capabilities and present exclusive services from Alfa Tours and Falcon Aviation Services to the emirate market.

75 million drh were invested in the joint project, which made it possible to prepare a fleet of 4 helicopters with highly professional pilots, to rent helipads in the capital of the Emirates of Abu Dhabi, as well as the tourist and business center of Dubai, and to organize VIP services for various categories of customers . The Three Whales of Big Business presents an exclusive project for tourism and business aviation: Gassan Aridi, CEO of Alfa Tours; Phillip Markham, general manager of the Falcon Aviation Service and captain Salem Al Kayumi, chairman of the FAS where he served faithfully until 2005 as a personal pilot of His Highness the Crown Prince. The captain now presides over the company FAS, founded under the auspices of His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the beginning of 2006, and has over 80 employees and a helicopter fleet including models Eurocopter EC 130, Eurocopter EC 135, Augusta A 190 E, Augusta A 109 S.

Gassan Aridi, the permanent leader of one of the leading travel companies, directly involved in innovative projects in the tourism markets of Dubai, the Sultanate of Oman, Spain and Morocco. His company Alfa Tours was established in 1995, has partners almost all over the world, and receives more than 35,000 tourists annually. Gassan Aridi is a full member of the ICCA (International Congress & Convention Association), an international historical organization in the United States of America, the SKAL professional tourist club in Dubai.

Phillip Markham received a T.A.F certificate in South Africa and began his career in the aviation industry in 1983, becoming a trainee engineer. After 23 years of flying experience with Australian airlines in Brisbane, Canberra, and Adu-Dhabi, Phillip leads the Falcon Aviation Service with certification from Aircraft Engineer and Lead Auditor (ISO). Captain Salem Al Kayumi graduated from the UAE Air Force Academy and has been the country's most experienced aviation pilot for more than 23 years. After 15 years of service in the Emirates Air Force, Captain Al Kayumi was enlisted in the personal aviation fleet of the Sheikh family.

- Please tell us what is the fundamental difference between the helicopter excursions that various companies already provide in the tourist market of the Emirates and your new proposal, joint with FAL?

There is more than a fundamental difference. What we present today is a completely new service. Our service is focused mainly on VIP-clients, on individual and exclusive orders. Yes, we can conduct sightseeing helicopter tours over the Emirates, lasting 30, 45 and 60 minutes, designed for small groups, family walks or individual orders. But we also address our services to businessmen, politicians, military and medical services.

- That is, you can take part in some kind of military operations?

- Not certainly in that way. Our aircraft can assist in extinguishing fires, in time, without the influence of traffic jams, to be at the scene of the incident and help in hospitalizing the victims. Of course, we do not carry out any military operations.

- You mentioned the organization of business tours for business people. Does this mean that now negotiations and discussion of contracts can be held in the sky over the Emirates?

These flights are of most interest to business people who are attracted by investment opportunities in Dubai real estate. Such businessmen can not only discuss some contracts and negotiate with their partners in the air, but also visually consider the location, the construction process and evaluate the attractiveness of certain objects in which they plan to contribute their capital.

- At the moment you have four helicopters, which are based in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Is an increase in the fleet planned?

It is planned not only to increase the air fleet, but also to expand our bases. Today we have two Augusta A109 Grand helicopters and two Eurocopter ec130 helicopters. A couple of them are based in ADNec (Expocenter) in Abu Dhabi and Union Square in Dubai. The runways we use are located near the international airport and at the emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi, Dubai is the helipad of burj Al Arab, Le meridien mina Seyahi hotels and the international airport. That is, we cover two emirates. In the very near future, we will open two more helipads where they will be located, this is still a secret, but in the plans for "covering" we have all the emirates and the neighboring Gulf countries.

- Who do you see among your regular customers?

As I already said, we can provide not only services for the tourism market, it can be both government customers and businessmen. We look forward to the Russian representatives of the tourism and business elite, because the imagination of Russians and Russian-speaking guests arriving in the Emirates has no limits. They will come up with tours that we cannot even think of now!

But our exclusivity lies precisely in the fact that we will fulfill any whim of the customer. Whether it be a romantic trip with red roses and champagne on board for the newlyweds, or corporate negotiations with the possibility of video and photography - our client will be completely satisfied with the services provided.

- Apparently, does the internal design of helicopters have this?

Helicopters are specially designed to serve VIP representatives. Therefore, in the cabin, everything is done so that passengers are comfortable, safe and organic. All six leather seats of the cabin offer excellent visibility through panoramic windows, air conditioning and soundproofing allow you to feel in the right tone and rhythm, multilateral safety belts guarantee you complete safety, allowing you to participate in flights not only for adults but also for minor children.

- Well, it remains to ask about the cost of sightseeing tours at the height of a bird's flight.

In connection with our direct sponsorship of the Dubai Summer Surprises festival program, the company provides summer discounts on sky tours for the period from July 15 to October 15. More detailed information on prices can be obtained directly from our company.

We invite residents and guests of the United Arab Emirates to make unforgettable flights and love this country so as to return here again and again!

Thanking Mr. Aridi for the attention paid to us, we go to the runway and, together with other journalists from popular publications in the UAE, are preparing to make a trip over Dubai. In a snow-white bird with a bright red "name" FAS on the tail we are photographed as a keepsake, introduced to a Hawaiian pilot and instructed on the peculiarities of fastening helicopter seat belts. We take off and immediately turn around over the waters of the Gulf. We make a couple of circles over the islands of "Palm Jumeirah" and "Mir", fly along the coastline and come back. Not so much time we were in the air, but after all, the flight organizers had to take into account that there were a lot of journalists, and absolutely everyone had to have time to feel this state of soaring in the air.

/ Elena Balina /

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