Airlines invest in luxury amenities as business class demand grow

A study has recently indicated that the demand for business class flights is expected to grow increasingly in the Middle East. The bright prospects have spurred Middle East and other international carriers to invest heavily in luxury amenities. Some of the airlines have even gone to the extent of mulling to remove first class from their fleet.

The Air Passenger Market Analysis report made public its findings saying that the premium airlines from the Middle East such as Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways are pumping in millions of dollars to provide luxury services to their customers amid expectations of a rapid demand for business class travel. According to the latest data, Middle East carriers have witnessed strongest international passenger growth in recent times with Revenue Passenger Kilometers (RPKs) increasing by 12.2 percent in August 2013 as compared to the same month in 2012.

The study said that though the aviation industry had been witnessing tough times for quite few years now globally, the Middle East carriers are however leading a global revival for the aviation sector, particularly in the first class and business class traffic. Apart from Middle East carriers, other international carriers like JetBlue Airways, Hawaiian Airlines, Lufthansa, British Airways and Cathay Pacific Airways have made significant investments in upgrading luxury amenities to their premium customers.