Learjet operator Zenith Aviation has opened a base at Manchester airport to complement its existing operation in Biggin Hill.

Managing director Stuart Mulholland explains the rationale behind the move: “I previously held the chief pilot's post at Northern Executive Aviation and, having seen the iconic Learjet disappear from the region, it has always been my intention to bring the aircraft back to the airport. With Zenith Aviation, I am delighted to say that we have now done this and we'll be rotating our fleet of Learjet 75s through the Signature facility airport.

“We see great charter potential in the north west and look forward to now being in a position to respond to requests to fly from airfields such as Liverpool, Leeds, East Midlands and Chester, and we are better able to support our regular clients in Scotland and the Republic of Ireland. There are few aircraft, if any, based in the region that are exclusively available for charter so having one of our new Learjet 75s in Manchester should give us an edge in winning new business. The age of the aircraft and on board amenities such as wi-fi, satcom and IFE at every seat will also help us to stand out from competition.

“Early indications are extremely promising with bookings going well. As more charter brokers start to think of Zenith Aviation as both a Manchester and Biggin Hill based operator, I am sure that we will have a very busy aircraft indeed.”

Northern Executive Aviation, established in 1961, was an operator, MRO and FBO business based at Manchester airport. Following its acquisition in 1989, the terminal was rebranded Ocean Sky Jet Centre and the maintenance division Ocean Sky Engineering.