Stuart Wheeler

Background

About Stuart Wheeler

Stuart Wheeler is the Founder and CEO of Air Charter International, the aircraft wet leasing specialist based in Dubai, UAE. He has also co-founded Jet–Ops, the seaplane operator and Seawings, a premium tour operator specializing in creating bespoke seaplane tours and destination holidays. He is a prominent figure within the Middle East airline industry and passionately committed to the aviation development of the region. Stuart gained his BA in Strategic Studies and International Relations and after his graduation he commercially managed a large fleet of turbo prop aircraft for Dan Air Services, principally providing services to the oil industry, a post which he held for 11 years. A native of England, Stuart first came to the Middle East in 1986 as Area Director and later General Manager for Airbus Industrie, the leading aircraft manufacturing, where for ten years he was responsible for leading aircraft sales campaigns in the UAE, various Gulf and Asian countries. With over four decades of aviation experience, Stuart established Air Charter International (ACI) in 1994, being a forerunner in the Aircraft Wet Leasing (ACMI) business segment. Wet Leasing was in its nascent stages and he whole heartedly dedicated his efforts to establish Wet Leasing as a strategic planning tool for airlines and to reinforce ACI’s role as a key facilitator and service provider. To complement ACI, in 2007 Stuart established Seawings, a specialist tour operator that markets and sells scenic seaplane tours in the UAE operated by wholly owned AOC holder, Jet Ops After 10 years of successfully creating unforgettable leisure experiences for its guests, Seawings remains to be the only seaplane operator within the the UAE and Oman. Seawings has been lauded as one of the best recreational activities to experience within the UAE; including the accolade of "The #1 thing to do in Dubai" by the New York Times