Rizon, which has begun work on a new FBO and hangar facility at Qatar's Doha airport (EBAN May 2009) plans to operate with up to three AOCs as the company's fleet expansion continues.

Andrew Pearce, newly appointed director, sales and marketing UK/Europe, says: "The granting of our UK AOC will be an integral step to our plans for expansion in Europe. As an addition to our existing AOCs in Qatar and Sharjah it will enable us to grow our business model in Europe as well as in the Middle East and work on synergies between the two".

He adds: "Rizon is now busy working hard on the support of the expanding Challenger fleet of 604s and 605s as well as the entry into service of its first managed Global XRS which will join its first Challenger 605 into service, based in Doha."

The company is adding three managed Challenger 604s in the UK along with a second new Hawker 900XP for charter to be operated under Rizon's UAE AOC and based in the Arab Gulf region.

"This takes the total number of aircraft in the Rizon fleet this summer to seven," says Will Curtis, group ceo. "When the global recovery happens we hope to be well positioned to catch the upturn. However, this may be some way away!"

Rizon, which has offices in the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Jeddah and London, plans to become an authorised service centre for various OEMs from its Biggin Hill and Qatar bases serving operators in Europe, the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent and other emerging markets in Asia and Eastern Europe.

"Rizon is ideally suited to offer a 'one stop shop' for aircraft owners seeking support for their new or existing aircraft. We are talking with a number of new clients at present and we hope to welcome more aircraft to our management fleet shortly," says Curtis.