MEDIA ADVISORY - ONE YEAR AFTER OPENING DUBAI OFFICE, CREW SUPPORT EXPERT
HIGHLIGHTS OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FACING BUSINESS AIRCRAFT OPERATORS

Andre Khury available for interviews prior to, during and after MEBA 2010, Dubai, Dec. 7 - 9

MONTREAL, Dec. 1 /CNW Telbec/ - Mr. Andre Khury's professional experience, in the Middle East and internationally, provides a unique perspective on the provision of operational support services, including crew support, and its importance to the success of individual business aviation missions. In general terms, crew support involves placing pilots, maintenance engineers and other support services for short- to long-term business aviation operations worldwide.

In the last decade, Mr. Khury has worked with hundreds of clients: aircraft owners, operators and flight departments, in more than 50 countries worldwide.

"People in this business do not think about crew or operations support until an aircraft is grounded," says Andre Khury. "For example, imagine a situation where a business jet is immobilized and rendered completely useless for an extended period of time. Why? Because experienced pilots or crew were not immediately available to fly due to proficiency issues, lack of visas or insufficient validations. This scenario illustrates the potential problems and complex challenges faced by operators in regions where business aircraft experience may be limited. And, it underscores the importance of entrusting expert service providers to avoid such complications."

Given his international experience and the fact that his company opened a Dubai office a year ago, Mr. Andre Khury is well-suited to comment on a variety of business aviation issues, including:

• Providing business aviation operational support services to Middle Eastern and international clients.
• The staffing challenges related to the delivery of new aircraft types and the training requirements that this represents.
• The significance of solid international alliances and relationships to the provision of responsive crew support.
• Cultural awareness and sensitivity as key success factors in the provision of operational support services.
• The increasing shortage of pilots and qualified crews worldwide.
• How crew support challenges relate to broader entry-into-service issues.

Biography

Mr. Andre Khury is President, CEO and a principal of ACASS, a leading provider of operational support services for international business aviation clients. Founded in 1994, ACASS has the largest pilot network in its sector - a database of more than 4,000 pilots. Prior to joining ACASS in 2001, Andre held senior executive management and sales roles in a variety of sectors, including: oil and gas, hospitality and industrial design. Andre Khury holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada and is a recent President of the Canadian Business Aviation Association, Quebec chapter.

For further information:

Mr. Andre Khury is available for interviews in person at MEBA, Dubai, December 7 - 9 and for telephone interviews both before and after the convention. For more information, or to schedule an interview, please contact:

Mark Lowe
PRagmatic Communications
E-mail: [email protected]
Tel: [phone]
Mobile: [phone]