Rizon Jet could expand FBO services even further into Europe

 Pictured: Patrick Enz at Biggin Hill where the Rizon Jet MRO and FBO is in the final stages of construction .

Rizon – owned by Ghanim Al Saad bin Saad through GSSG – is the first of the Arab aviation companies to reverse the standard trend by setting up in Europe.

“A lot of European companies set up an operation in the Middle East but we have come to London. We are building a world-class facility here that is targeted at the many Middle Eastern customers that come to Europe using private aviation.”

Enz, a former Jet Aviation executive joined Rizon last year. “It is very likely that we will be looking at establishing other bases in Europe”

Rizon Jet already has a charter operation in Doha with two Challenger 605s and two Hawker 900XPs. The company has the new Learjet 85s on order for delivery in four years time.

The company has an operation in Bahrain serving the island and Saudi’s eastern province and also has an AOC for operations from Sharjah+620 1  .

But the growth into full service MRO and a top quality FBO has seen an investment in excess of $30million by the GSSG  company in building two matching facilities one at Doha International Airport, and the other an London’s Biggin Hill.

Biggin is just to the south of London’s financial district at Canary Wharf and is just a few minutes helicopter ride to the city’s theatre and shopping centre.

Our customers will access our luxurious VIP terminals in Doha and London and on arrival in London will have support for helicopters or luxury limousine for the journey into central London.” Enz said.

Enz said Rizon Jet is now expanding its operations beyond charter and as well as the FBO terminal service and the MRO business, it would also be running an aircraft management and aircraft sales business.

“These are already operational and source potential purchasers through our network of contacts and prospective buyers,” Enz said.

But it is the MRO and FBO that is causing the most excitement at the moment.

“We hope the maintenance hangars will both be open by July,” Enz said.

Both Doha and London will hold EASA 145 and Qatar CAA approvals and have approvals pending with UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Aruba and several others.

Each hangar can take up to four Global Express size aircraft or nine Hawker 900 jets.

The VIP terminals will also be appealing for Middle Eastern customers. “There will be full VIP concierge service and each will have private lounges so a whole party can be together in privacy,” Enz said. “We have separate prayer rooms in each terminal and top quality in-flight catering.

The company has also teamed up with UK’s Oryx Jet which will manage Rizon’s Premier 1A aircraft in Europe, which will enable Rizon customers to travel under Oryx’s AOC , and Rizon will supply maintenance and technical support to the Oryx fleet.