Rizon Jet Airline has ordered a Challenger 605 after taking delivery of its first aircraft, a Premier 1A, and launched in Bahrain with the message that private charter is not just for the elite.

"It is a service that can be provided to the business community at reasonable rates," says ceo Ibrahim A. AlHamer. "We want to take private aircraft travel to a much wider audience."

He adds: "The shareholders of Rizon Jet have identified a niche target market that is currently underserved by normal commercial carriers, corporate, and private jet operators in the region. These are the people that are looking for value-driven travel solutions, treasure time and convenience in travelling and include senior government officials, ceos, senior managers, professionals and vips."

Rizon Jet is scheduled to acquire a second Premier 1A in May. A Hawker 900XP is expected to enter service in November, followed by the Challenger 605 in the fourth quarter of 2008.

AlHamer says: "We will acquire the most suitable aircraft to meet client expectations and we are determined to expand the corporate and private aviation clientele base beyond the existing users. Rizon Jet aims to grow to become a market pioneer in commercialising private aviation."

He says the Challenger 605 is exceptionally reliable with a fleet dispatch reliability over 99 per cent. "The bright and spacious new cabin interior and high-tech business features will appeal to our clients," he adds.

Chief marketing officer Assaad Abiad says that initial charter flights will take clients to destinations in the Arab Gulf region. But there are plans to fly to other countries in the Middle East, the Far East, India and some European countries before the end of 2007.

Rizon Jet has headquarters in Bahrain and a regional office in Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates. It says it will expand into an integrated private and corporate jet company offering aircraft maintenance, the buying, selling and leasing of aircraft, and third party aircraft management programmes.

AlHamer says: "In Bahrain, the company intends, in the near future, to have a fully-fledged business aircraft approved maintenance centre."Rizon Jet was launched in Bahrain by AlHamer, the AAJ Holdings Company, Hazem Janahi and

Rizon Partners, which is majority owned by Ghanim Bin Saad Al Saad Group. AlHamer was previously undersecretary of Civil Aviation Affairs of Bahrain, president and ceo of Gulf Air, and a member of Air Arabia's founding committee. The AAJ Group's interests are predominantly real estate. Janahi is a Bahraini entrepreneur specialising in financial and investment structuring and management. Ghanim Bin Saad Al Saad Group was established in 1998 to promote sustained growth and development in Qatar.