UK-based Mirai Flights, the tech start-up service for instant booking of charter flights, will enter the Middle East with three new deals as it seeks to capitalise on robust demand for luxury travel from the ultra-rich.
The self-proclaimed “Uber for private jets” signed contracts with Middle East-based charter brokers Aeon Luxe, AirJets and Jet Summit, it said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Adding Middle Eastern brokers to the service is a crucial step in achieving our main aim to automate the business aviation booking process,” Irakli Litanishvili, co-founder and chief executive of Mirai Flights, said.
“There are plenty of investment and partnership opportunities.”
The demand for private travel remained strong throughout the coronavirus pandemic as wealthy clients sought alternatives to commercial flights.
A record for global business jet demand was set in the first half of 2022, and although the rebound is slowing, the gains on 2019 have held steady at about 20 per cent, according to a report by data research and consulting company WingX Advance.
In the first six months of 2022, 2.7 million business aviation flights took to the skies.
Business jets and turboprops flew 22 per cent more flights than in the first half of 2021 and 15 per cent more than same period in 2019.
The turboprop rebound has been relatively weaker. Business jet activity is up 27 per cent compared to last year and 21 per cent higher than levels of 2019, according to WingX Advance.
“The UAE, resilient throughout the pandemic, is only 3 per cent up this year compared to last year, but with 86 per cent more business jet flights than in the first half of 2021,” the report said.
Growth in luxury travel has fuelled a boom in demand for private aircraft. Corporate jet makers have reported growing order backlogs.
Honeywell International raised its outlook for business jet deliveries as travel picks up thanks to easing of restrictions.
It forecasts 7,400 new business jet deliveries worth $238 billion between 2022 and 2031, a 1 per cent increase in deliveries from the same 10-year forecast a year ago, according to its annual Global Business Aviation Outlook.
Fund-raising plans in the Middle East
Mirai Flights plans to extend its first foray into the Middle East, seeking a round of fund-raising from investors there.
“Mirai Flights is also open to regional investment, with a series A round approaching shortly,” Mr Litanishvili said.
“Our goals regionally are to develop Mirai’s B2B and B2C offerings through partnerships with local companies and FBO partners.”
Mirai said its decision to enter the Middle East is driven by the UAE's position as a well-established business aviation market and that its luxury travel segment is open to tech-based services.
The region is also evolving into an “essential player” in the global IT sector, providing start-ups with an attractive base to grow their operations, the company said.
For business aviation, this means that advanced transport such as air taxis can be supported by the automated technology that Mirai Flights offers, it said.
Mirai Flights is backed by UK's Xploration capital venture fund and the UAE- based private investors, operating in 63 countries to date, according to the statement.
The company did not name the local investors.
How the instant private jet booking service works
Mirai Flights connects travellers to private jets on its app, offering choices for time and place of departure, the class of aircraft, price and the number of passengers on-board.
Customers can book business jets for domestic and international flights, with the app guaranteeing a fixed price for the flight, which is calculated at the time of booking.
A trip in August from Dubai to Istanbul can cost around €36,456 ($37,206), while a Dubai-Milan flight starts from €77,207, according to its website.
Crypto payments for private jet travel
Offering cryptocurrency payments for business aviation services, Mirai Flights sees the Middle East as one of the “pivoting markets” where many users with high purchasing power are using cryptocurrencies to pay for transactions.
“Mirai makes such payments accessible and simple, both for the end client and for us as a broker. Just a few steps — and everything is a done deal,” said Tatiana Furga, financial director of Jet Summit.
“Enabling crypto payments gives us a great competitive advantage and financial flexibility. We … are confident that the volume of such operations will only grow.”
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The world's fastest private business jet - in pictures
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
What is the definition of an SME?
SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.
A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors.
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Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
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