International Air Charter (IAC), the independent aircraft charter brokers has announced the opening of a new office in Nice. A favourite haunt of the international jet set, Nice accounts for nearly 75 per cent of the UK-based charter company’s clients. The new office will particularly cater to Arab nationals and expatriates from the GCC states, who holiday in Nice or reside in the south of Europe.

Hugh Courtenay, CEO, IAC said: “Nice is a favourite holiday destination among our Arab clientele, who account for a major part of the company’s business in the Middle East. By catering to GCC customers vacationing or residing on the Cote d’Azur, the new office will complement the activities of our regional office in Dubai and offer prompt services to our clients.”

The Nice office will open 24 hours a day. The new office furthers the charter company’s plan to expand its network and raise its profile among customers in Europe. A member of several internationally recognised aviation associations, IAC also has offices in London, Frankfurt, Padova and in New York.

The charter company’s blue chip clientele from the Middle East has grown rapidly, registering a 100 per cent increase in the number of bookings from the Gulf during 2005. To accommodate increased demand, IAC has recently established representative offices in Qatar and Cyprus and is in the final stages of concluding similar agreements for offices in Egypt, Bahrain and Kuwait.