Dubai, GE Aviation has appointed Isam Moursy as General Manager for its Middle East and Africa (MEA) markets. A veteran of GE with over 20 years of experience, Moursy will focus on strengthening the aviation business of the company by building long-term strategic partnerships, training, service and localization.
David Joyce, President & Chief Executive Officer for GE Aviation, said: “The aviation sector in the Middle East and Africa markets is witnessing phenomenal growth with massive investments currently ongoing to expand the aviation infrastructure. The region offers a strong fit to GE Aviation’s proven competencies across the spectrum of the industry – from offering fuel efficient and eco-friendly engines that power the fast-growing aircraft carriers, to driving localized training and research initiatives. Isam Moursy has in-depth market insights of the region, which will enable him to meet our growth goals in the aviation sector.”
In his new role, Moursy will drive the growth of GE Aviation in the MEA markets by developing and expanding customer relationships and long-term public and private partnerships across the region. GE Aviation already has a strong footprint having established partnerships with all leading airlines. Today, more than 2,000 GE engines are in service or on order in the region.
Moursy said: “The regional aviation industry is witnessing unprecedented growth, highlighted by the new orders for aircraft and investments in aviation infrastructure. In addition to strengthening our relationships with the regional airlines, GE Aviation will focus on localized leadership training to develop a strong resource base of professionals, and on advanced research to meet the modern-day requirements of the region’s aviation sector.”
GE has already invested in aviation training in the region through a dedicated facility at the GE Advanced Technology and Research Center at the Qatar Science & Technology Park, which offers training on GE engine models, and advanced high-tech and jet maintenance training programs that fit the requirements of the regional leaders.
GE Aviation has also joined hands with Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Development Company to expand GE’s global network of engine maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) providers in the Middle East. GE will designate ADAT, an affiliate MRO company of Mubadala, as a network provider in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) for its next generation GEnx-1B and -2B engines.
Recently, Emirates, the Dubai-based international airline, unveiled a plan for the construction of the most technologically advanced Engine Overhaul Shop to complement the present Test Cell Facility in Dubai. The state-of-the-art Engine Shop will be one of the largest in Asia and will be built using a land area of 90,000 square meters. The engine shop will have the capability of performing 300 shop visits per annum for GE’s GE90 and Engine Alliance’s GP7000 engines that power the B777 aircraft and A380. Emirates has signed a Letter of Intent with GE to oversee the design and construction of the shop using the most advanced technology, equipment and best practices in the industry.
Among GE’s ecomagination certified products is the GEnx aircraft engine, which has a 15% lower fuelburn during cruise than the platform it replaces. GE Aviation’s advanced GE90-115B and GEnx jet engines have found wide acceptance in the Middle East region.
GE Aviation along with its joint venture companies, CFM International and the Engine Alliance, have amassed engine and services orders valued at more than US$16 billion at the 2010 Farnborough Air Show, of which more than half – nearly US$10 billon – were signed by leading airlines in the Middle East region, notably, the UAE.
Of the nearly US$10 billion in deals, Emirates accounted for US$7.8 billion. Other airline partners in the region include Air Arabia, Etihad Airways, Royal Jordanian, Qatar Airways, Jazeera Airways, Oman Air and Saudi Arabian, among others.
The Engine Alliance, a joint venture of GE Aviation and Pratt & Whitney, is dedicated to designing and producing the most technically advanced and environmentally compatible engine for the Airbus A380, making it a perfect fit for the region, with Emirates being the largest A380 operator in the world, powered by the Alliance GP7200.
Moursy has a diverse background in general management, sales, service and engineering, and has worked as Regional Manager for GE Aviation in Africa. He was previously General Manager for GE’s Enterprise solutions in Middle East and Africa. He was leading the GE Healthcare business in Africa, and has spent 15 years in Energy in various commercial positions, including as Regional General Manager of GE Energy services. Moursy holds a B.S.c in Electrical Engineering from Cairo University, Egypt and a Masters degree in business administration from the American University in Cairo.
The Middle East region, home to some 500 airlines and 1,200 international and domestic airports, is described as the center of the world for the aviation industry. With over US$280 billion in investments already, according to industry estimates, the region has recorded a consistent 10% growth in passenger traffic in the past six years.
Airlines in the region took delivery of nearly 21% of the world’s wide body aircraft in 2009, a growth trend that is set to continue. Likewise, Africa markets too are poised for growth with a research by the International Air Transport Association, this year, observing that Africa is the second fastest growing region in commercial aviation. It is projected that Sub-Saharan Africa alone will need about 550 new aircraft by 2020 to meet rising passenger traffic.
Source: Press Release (GE Aviation)