News Broadcasting
UAE commands 20% of Middle East air charter business, says Private Jet Charter
Dubai, UAE, 26 June 2013: UAE commands 20 percent of the air charter business in the Middle East, according to Private Jet Charter (PJC), one of the world’s largest independent private jet charter brokers.
This was revealed during PJC’s revamp of its bilingual portal www.privatejetcharter.ae that is targeting the company’s UAE client base.
Hugh Courtenay, Founder and Chief Executive, PJC said: “We have created a dedicated portal for the UAE market as the UAE now accounts for approximately 20% of our regional market. We are proud to say that we are the only private jet company in the region with an online system that gives instant and accurate price quotations in several languages, including Arabic.”
Ross Kelly, Managing Director for Middle East, PJC added: “PJC has access to the largest and most comprehensive fleet of private jets anywhere in the world. We are the only private jet company with 8 different language sites, including Arabic. We are delighted that since the launch of our revamp of the UAE version of the portal, we have seen a remarkable rise in online requests for private jets.”
The company revealed at the launch that UAE businessmen make around 10 charter trips a year on an average.
According to the company, the air charter business in Saudi Arabia and the UAE is gaining ground as a preferred and cost effective alternative to commercial air travel.
Courtenay said that PJC’s clients make use of the company’s global network as well as its personalised services, which are preferred by discerning travellers compared to regular commercial airline offerings.
PJC has a network of offices in the UK, Nice and significant presence in the Middle East from a busy base in Dubai and presence in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. The organisation also has offices in key charter hubs of Moscow and Florida.
Courtenay says his company is pleased with the growing acceptance among its Saudi customers of the strategic benefits of charter jet services, particularly in terms of convenience and time savings. He added that clients were getting more tech savvy and the company’s UAE portal has been designed to cater to their needs.
Kelly said that the company’s clients from KSA and the UAE come from all walks of life and from the widest range of areas of business, industry and commerce. He added that PJC client base in KSA and UAE includes royal families, CEOs, and other members of the affluent segment.
Kelly added: “The revamp of Arabic version of our portal is an addition to the company’s investment in information technology and high-tech solutions. At a very early stage, we developed a sophisticated state-of-the-art aircraft sourcing technology that enabled our aviation consultants to source available aircraft at the click of a mouse, by aircraft type, number of seats, year of manufacture and from any location in the world, which in turn provides our clients with instant details of the most suitable aircraft available, complete with indicative price.”
“Revamping the UAE portal reinforces our commitment to make our charter services client-driven and tailored to our clients’ requirements, so that they get a premium service against attractive fees,” Courtenay added
News Broadcasting
Network18 Q4 revenue grows 9.7 per cent, EBITDA at Rs 30 crore
PAT improves to Rs 306.6 crore, margins steady amid cost pressures.
MUMBAI: Not all news is breaking, some of it is quietly improving. Network18 Media & Investments Limited appears to be doing just that, tightening losses and stabilising margins even as costs continue to weigh on the business. For FY26, the company reported revenue from operations of Rs 1,955.1 crore, up from Rs 1,896.2 crore in FY25, signalling modest top-line growth in a challenging media environment. Total income stood at Rs 1,978.2 crore, compared to Rs 1,913 crore a year earlier.
Profit after tax came in at Rs 306.6 crore for the year, a sharp turnaround from Rs 3,225.4 crore in FY25, largely reflecting the absence of large exceptional items that had inflated the previous year’s numbers. On a more comparable basis, the company’s operating performance showed signs of gradual stabilisation.
However, the quarterly picture remained under pressure. For the March quarter, Network18 reported a loss of Rs 53.1 crore, narrower than the Rs 98.1 crore loss in the same period last year, but still indicative of ongoing cost challenges.
Expenses continued to track high. Total expenses for FY26 stood at Rs 2,235.7 crore, up from Rs 2,197.8 crore in FY25. Key cost heads included operational expenses of Rs 765.9 crore, employee benefits of Rs 475.9 crore, and marketing, distribution and promotional spends of Rs 427.1 crore, underlining the continued investment required to sustain reach and engagement.
At an operating level, margins remained under strain. Operating margin stood at 2.33 per cent for FY26, marginally higher than 1.77 per cent in FY25, while net profit margin remained negative at -13.02 per cent, though improved from -14.89 per cent.
On the balance sheet, total assets rose to Rs 8,957.6 crore as of 31 March 2026, from Rs 8,317.5 crore a year earlier. Equity strengthened to Rs 4,958.7 crore, while borrowings increased to Rs 3,112.8 crore, reflecting a higher reliance on debt to support operations.
Cash flows told a mixed story. While financing activities generated Rs 83.9 crore, operating cash flow remained negative at Rs -24 crore, highlighting ongoing pressure on core cash generation. Cash and cash equivalents, however, improved to Rs 33.9 crore from Rs 1.8 crore.
The numbers point to a company in transition growing revenues, trimming losses, but still grappling with structural cost pressures. In a sector where scale often comes at a price, Network18 seems to be inching towards balance, one quarter at a time.
