BrazilBauer Aviation Advisory lands in Dubai to serve the Middle East
Bauer Aviation Advisory has launched its third office globally in Dubai, which will serve as a base for the firm’s clients in the wider Middle East and North Africa region.
Home to airlines giant such as Emirates and Etihad, the Middle East is an aviation hotspot. However, after losing billions in profits due to the pandemic, the industry is in need of help. According to the latest estimates from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Covid-19 and its after effects will continue to impact MENA’s aviation industry for the years to come, and sees 2 million jobs on the line as profits dwindle.
For Bauer Aviation Advisory, this marks an opportunity. “The Middle East has an incredibly vibrant aviation market and Dubai offers us an ideal business environment to expand our services across the Gulf region,” said Linus Benjamin Bauer, the firm’s founder and managing director and a seasoned expert in the aviation sector.
Working mainly in marketing & sales roles, Bauer has clocked time at airline giants Etihad, Singapore Airlines and Skywork Airlines before founding Bauer Aviation Advisory in the midst of the pandemic last year. As challenges for aviation went from bad to worse last year, the firm’s expertise in corporate strategy, business innovation, network & fleet operation, and other technical functions spiked in demand among airlines.
A team of 25 professionals with an average of 15 years’ experience specialised in revenue management, business development, corporate strategy, network management, mergers & acquisitions, sales and marketing make up the global Bauer Aviation Advisory team – with an office each in Germany, Switzerland and now Dubai.
The most recent addition to this team is Sheila Nazareth – an industrial engineer by education with more than 30 years of professional experience in aviation. A remarkable 27-plus of these years have been at Dubai-based airline giant Emirates, where she was most recently Vice President of Operations Research & Effectiveness.
She joins Bauer himself in the Dubai office, as an external consultant, helping the firm serve an expanding pool of clients in the Middle East. Already in December – less than a year after launching – the firm was awarded the title of ‘Highly Commended’ in the Pride of Aviation category at the Aviation Business Awards 2020.
“Our 25 expert consultants are provide strategic, trusted and reliable advice to our clients, which reflects our commitment to supporting the growth of the aviation industry with excellence,” said Bauer. By the firm’s estimates, infection containment and the vaccine rollout makes 2024 a realistic target for the airline industry to bounce back stronger than pre-crisis levels.
A rebuild and recovery phase will ensue in the mean time, and Bauer Aviation Advisory is there for support. “Our priority is to deliver long-term sustainable value for the aviation industry. After what has been a turbulent year for the Middle East’s aviation sector, our entry to the market is at the right place and at the right time. The industry needs a trusted partner now more than ever to help it confront its challenges and our committed team of local experts will help our clients soar to recovery.”
Meanwhile, in Italy, consultants from Oliver Wyman are working with Italia Trasporto Aereo – what used to be Alitalia – on the company’s relaunch. French-Dutch group Air France-KLM has flown in consultants from McKinsey & Company and Boston Consulting Group to help it navigate the Covid-19 storm.
