The Middle East Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) is planning to proceed with its 2020 trade show in Dubai in December, although a final decision on whether to go ahead is unlikely until September at the earliest, association founding and executive chairman Ali Alnaqbi told AIN. The event is scheduled for December 8 to 10.
However, Alnaqbi is unable at this point to confirm whether MEBAA attendees traveling on airlines from outside the United Arab Emirates would be able to attend. Citing the UAE General Authority for Civil Aviation's Safety Decision 2020-01, he said the regulator had lifted restrictions on international business aviation travel from the UAE to permitted destinations, but conceded that a requirement for self-isolation for those entering or reentering the UAE acts as a deterrent to trips.
“Anyone who [wants] to travel by private or corporate jet does not [now] need to get approval from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or diplomatic clearance,” he said. “Things are [getting] back to normal. Any person or company can travel to or from the UAE, but if you are coming back, the government has [put in place] endorsement procedures saying you have to be in quarantine for 14 days.”
MEBAA conferences in Jeddah, Amman, and Cairo have been postponed, while events already planned for Tunis and Marrakech in 2021 are likely to go ahead, Alnaqbi said.