Perla Group, which has also interests in telecommunications, K-9 services and armoured cars, said its aviation division is considering moving the Poltava manufacturing plant in Ukraine to the UAE, in a bid it hopes will bolster its operations in the Middle East and 
Africa regions.

If the plan pushes through, it will be a groundbreaking development for the UAE’s aviation industry, which currently has no local aircraft manufacturing facility.

“The plan is to establish an assembly line facility in the UAE within the next year,” Charles Sam D’Alberto, chief executive officer and founder of Perla Group, told Khaleej Times.

D’Alberto estimated the AK 1-3 helicopter assembly plant to initially cost $3 million to $4 million.

Currently, the Poltava facility manufactures 50 helicopters yearly. For 2010, 150 helicopters are scheduled for delivery to its various clients in the Middle East, Australia, Canada, South Africa and the Commonwealth of Independent States.

D’Alberto said that in the next five years, Perla Aviation will hike its production of helicopters to 1,000 
annually.

He said the company is also in negotiations to buy two Mustang citation jets for its air charter business to be  based outside of Dubai.

The company will display one AK 1-3 helicopter at the Dubai Air Show next week. “We have a two-fold growth strategy. Firstly, the Group intends to invest considerable funds to develop and produce the second helicopter from DB Aeropcopter which will be a 4 to 5 seater helicopter. Secondly, the Group plans to expand its air charter services business to offer low cost private jet and helicopter services not only throughout the Middle East, but also in East Asia, West Africa and Europe.”  — rocel@khaleejtimes.com