The corporate jet industry is in its infancy in the UAE but, as Frank Stamford discovers, one man is confident it is about to take off

Many people perceive the United Arab Emirates as a country with an abundance of personal wealth. It is true to say that flash cars dominate the highways and the average wage earned is well up on most developed countries, but the image of company execs jetting here, there and everywhere in their private jets could not be further from the truth.

Thanks to the range of top quality airlines that fly out of the UAE, most businessmen are content stretching out in business or first class comfort and working their schedules around scheduled flights.

But there are signs that the trend is changing. Time is money in the high flying world of executive business and it appears that the UAE is set to come in line with the likes of the USA by utilising corporate jets.

It would amaze many to learn that outside of the ruling families, there is a dearth of private jets here in the UAE with the actual number probably taking up the digits on one hand. However, Captain Lynn Kendel says there is light at the end of the runway for the fledgling corporate jet industry.

Capt Kendel is in his rookie year in the UAE having been recruited by Al Habtoor Group as Director of Flight Operations for its new Hawk Executive Jet Transport company. While corporate jets may be a new wing in the vast Al Habtoor Group, it has certainly hired a man with a wealth of experience to steer the company to great heights.

"I was surprised to learn that there were very few corporate jets operating in the UAE," said the 55-year-old Canadian. "It is very much an untapped market and we have just scratched the surface by joining the industry. There are plenty of big planes like the Boeing and Airbus but there is also a real need for the smaller planes like ours. It can match or even better the first class comfort of the bigger planes."

The company purchased its Lockheed Jet Star II plane last year and acquired its operations certificate earlier this year. It has already become a vehicle very much in demand. The four-engine jet can seat eight passengers and as well as whisking high-powered executives from Al Habtoor Group across the Middle East, Europe, Asia and Africa, it is also available for charter.

"The demand has been encouraging because companies are realising this is the best way to transport executives around," said Capt Kendel.

"Recently we had a call at 11pm requesting the jet for the following morning and we were ready to take off for Doha at 7am. We can operate at extremely short notice."

Giving an example of the benefit of using a private jet, Capt Kendel pointed that he recently transported a well-known singer from one show in Al Ain to perform on the same night in Jeddah. "What she accomplished that night would not have been possible previously," he said. Capt Kendel switched to flying smaller jets having "got bored" of the mundane routine of flying large commercial airlines where "all the hard work is done for you, no matter what they say".

His younger years were spent in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police where he switched to their airborne division for nine years. "I had the best of both worlds because I wanted to be a policeman and I wanted to fly," he said.

He matured to commercial flying with Air BC and spent many years seeing the world as a senior pilot with the Canadian-based airline. But adventure was calling and Capt Kendel decided to see what else the world had to offer him and he touched down in the Middle East in 1998, first in Saudi Arabia with ARAMCO and then a year later in the UAE with Hawk Executive Jet Transport.

"Having experienced living in -50C in Canada and +50C here I can safely say I prefer the latter!" he said. Now behind the controls of a new career, Capt Kendel says he is relishing the challenge.

"The Al Habtoor Group is a magnificent company to work for and has supported this new venture 100 per cent," he said. "We operate a very high performance jet that can reach speeds of 600 mph and fly non-stop to Athens. London, in fact, is just one short stop away." Recent high-profile crashes involving sport stars Payne Stewart, David Coulthard and Frankie Dettori, who rides for the Dubai-based Godolphin stable, have put the skeptical spot light on corporate jets.

Golfer Stewart died in his tragic accident, while racing driver Coulthard and Dettori both escaped serious injury in the accidents that claimed the lives of their pilots. Despite the front page headlines, Capt Kendel makes it clear that these were unfortunate isolated incidents.

"The most dangerous part of my day is driving to work... and I mean in any city not just on Dubai's roads," he said. "In any flight department I have been a part of, safety is of paramount importance and flying is still probably the safest way to travel."

On board the Lockheed Jet Star II, passengers receive an unrivalled service. Any requested movie or music can be played while a satellite phone keeps them connected to the world. A flight attendant is also on hand to provide a five-star personalised service on board. Away from his high flying working life, Capt Kendel likes to relax with his wife and 18-year-old son and cites golf as his main leisure hobby. "I've been playing for 20 years and have not got any better. The reason it is called golf is because all the other four letter words have been taken!"

Having spent three years living 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle, Capt Kendel has soon adjusted to the splendid year-round climate of Dubai... but talk about it being a small world.

"The man in charge of processing our licence application at the Department of Civil Aviation was a gentleman I used to deal with a lot back in Canada," he said. "It just goes to show that you should always be nice to people because you never know when, or where, you will come across them again!" Hawk Executive Jet Transport is based at Al Habtoor headquarters, next to the Metropolitan Entertainment Complex on Sheikh Zayed Road, and the plane is located at the Emirates Flying School Hanger at Terminal Two.