Press Release
Issued by .
May 4, 2010
Rizon Jet, the Middle East and UK-based business aviation group, is expecting completion of its new 130,000 sq m hangar and FBO/VIP Terminal facility at London Biggin Hill Airport in July 2010, Group CEO Patrick Enz has confirmed.
Rizon Jet's stunning new two-level FBO / VIP Terminal is being designed to cater for an international clientele mainly from Europe and the Middle East. The ground floor level will feature five open seating areas and the mezzanine floor will offer enclosed lounge areas with two private lounges for clients as well as a crew lounge with work stations and a dedicated rest area. Separate prayer rooms for male and female are also being built. The FBO / VIP Terminal will accentuate the best of Arabic and contemporary European style, sporting fine lines and a light, airy space throughout.
With a current workforce of 20 employees in Biggin Hill, Rizon Jet will eventually employ a 100-strong team in the UK. The majority of the workforce will be on the engineering side while Rizon Jet also is in talks with some OEMs to offer maintenance support on several aircraft types and hard on the heels of receiving its EASA/QCAA approval last year.
"Everything is coming together very well. We have had a dedicated team to this project and are on course for a formal opening later this summer," said Patrick Enz, Rizon Jet CEO.
"Our opening at Biggin Hill fulfils Rizon Jet's ambition to establish a base in Europe where we will specialise in aircraft maintenance and FBO / VIP Terminal ground handling activities. The business aviation industry has gone through an immensely tough year but Europe and the Middle East are pulling out of the recession and our timing is good," he said. "We have had considerable enquiries. Hangar space in the south of England is in strong demand and we are very much looking forward to growing our third party maintenance capabilities."
Rizon Jet moved from Bahrain to new premises in Doha, State of Qatar in 2009 followed by the appointment of a new Chief Executive, Patrick Enz who joined in September 2009 from Jet Aviation where he was VP Business Development, based in Zurich. Patrick has established a strong international team of business aviation professionals to help him run the business including Jackie Nikolajsen, General Manager at the Biggin Hill facility, former technical director of ExecuJet Europe A/S (Denmark) in Copenhagen and Faisal Alam, General Manager at the Doha facility. Faisal was former Chief Operating Officer at Bahrain-based Delmun Aviation Services.
It is the intention that Rizon Jet will collaborate with newly established Oryx Jet which has been created to provide aircraft management and aircraft charter, also operating out of London Biggin Hill. Oryx is talking with a number of individuals about managing their aircraft, which could see more business type jets being added to their charter fleet. They may also take on the management of Rizon's Beechcraft Premier 1 which has just recently moved to the UK.
"We are extremely proud and excited to welcome Rizon Jet to Biggin Hill," said Robert Walters, Business Development Manager at London Biggin Hill Airport. The company has worked so hard to produce a facility that is of an industry leading standard, and will help to put Biggin Hill on the map further afield than ever before. The success of this company will also have a very positive effect on employment on the airport and within the local area.
Progress at Doha International Airport - completion on track for July this year
Coincident with the expansion in the UK, Rizon Jet is advancing with a similar sized facility at its newly established headquarters at Doha International Airport, Qatar, on course for completion in July this year. Accessible via its own apron and with an airport parking area of approx 5,810 m2, the facility will have a hangar large enough to accommodate four Global XRS or nine Challenger 604/605 aircraft. It will host in-house workshops and technical offices covering 1,579 m2.
The 737 m2 adjacent VIP terminal will feature four private lounges (fully enclosed), an open lounge area with a water feature, indoor garden, duty free area as well as a male and female prayer rooms.
