Oryx Jet is a new, majority British-owned aircraft management and charter company and has established its operational base at London Biggin Hill Airport. The company has just secured its Aircraft Operating Certificate (AOC) from the UK Civil Aviation Authority, enabling it to offer public charter services. Its initial managed fleet centres on the Bombardier Challenger 604. Further aircraft types will be introduced as required.

Oryx Jet is majority owned by Mike Bradly Russell, who takes the role of CEO and Finance Director. Oryx’s arrival at Biggin Hill complements the activities of Rizon Jet, which will offer a one-stop suite of services to business aviation. Rizon Jet will be able to provide maintenance and technical support on the managed Challengers.

In autumn last year Mike was introduced to Rizon Jet’s management and the synergy between senior management was apparent from the outset, he explained: “We have a terrific opportunity to build a strong charter operation at London Biggin Hill Airport and Rizon Jet, also operating from Biggin can support us completely with technical and maintenance services, plus offer our customers a brand new and luxurious FBO facility, which they will enjoy using.”

A chartered accountant, Mike Bradly Russell has considerable experience in aviation, primarily in light and general aviation. In the late 1970s he was Auditor of Cabair Group, Europe’s largest independent group of flying schools and aviation services. In the early 1980’s he was instrumental in the formation of London European Ltd, the first of the low cost operators, which ultimately became part of Ryanair. In 2007 Mike became Group Finance Director of Cabair Holdings Ltd and World Aviation Holdings Limited where he remains as a non-executive director today.

“We congratulate Oryx Jet on this major step in gaining their AOC approval,” said Rizon Jet CEO Patrick Enz. “Whilst operating separately, it is the intention that our two companies will work closely together to build support for the wide range of services we plan to offer at the one location.”

via Arabian Aerospace – EBACE: Rizon Jet and Oryx share a stage and roles for UK growth.

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.%

via Arabian Aerospace – Rizon Jet could expand FBO services even further into Europe.

“The change in management and our simultaneous commitment to a parallel hangar and FBO/VIP Terminal development in Doha, due to open in the second quarter of 2010, means that we are a little bit later than originally scheduled,” says Rizon’s newly appointed group chief executive Patrick Enz.

Established two and a half years ago, Rizon has been slowly building its mostly third-party owned fleet, the majority of which is available for charter. This month it will take delivery of a second Hawker 900XP midsize business jet that will be joined in December by a large-cabin Bombardier Challenger 605.

The addition will boost Rizon’s fleet to six aircraft – five in Doha and one in London. Rizon has become one of the first operators to commit to the Bombardier Learjet 85, placing orders for four of the 555km (300nm)-range midsize jets in January. The all-composite aircraft is due to enter service in 2013

via Rizon readies VIP faciliities for 2010 completion.

“The change in management and our simultaneous commitment to a parallel hangar and FBO-/VIP Terminal development in Doha, Qatar, due to open in the second quarter of 2010, means that we are a little bit later than originally scheduled, but both projects are advancing well,” he said.

In Doha Rizon is gearing up to introduce two new jets – a second Hawker 900XP, due to arrive in November and a Challenger 605 which is due to come on line in December. Both aircraft will operate on the Qatari Operating Permit. Rizon now has five business jets based in Doha and one aircraft in London.

Rizon has been bolstering its management team in the UK and Qatar, ahead of a significant recruitment of staff early in January. Jackie Nikolajsen is General Manager at the Biggin Hill facility.

He joins from ExecuJet Europe, based in Denmark, where he was technical director. Jackie worked with ExecuJet since 2000 in the roles of maintenance manager and then head of aircraft completions and acceptance management. In Doha, Faisal Alam, ex Head of Maintenance and Development at Bahrain-based BexAir and former COO of Delmun Aviation Services, is newly named General Manager.

Andrew Pearce, who joined Rizon UK in May from TAG Aviation as Director Sales and Marketing Europe has been promoted to Head of Aircraft Management and Charter for the Rizon Group. A head of marketing and communications will be named early next month and Rizon is currently recruiting for a finance director. Both these positions will be based in Doha.

Two and a half year old Rizon has offices in Qatar, the UK, Bahrain and the UAE and is focused on providing VIP travel solutions and business aircraft support in the Middle East, Europe, India, Russia, the Far East and Africa.

Its mission is to meet increasing demand for corporate aircraft charter in the Gulf Cooperation Council states and expand its services with aircraft maintenance services, an aircraft trading and management arm and aviation training college which will be specifically aimed at growing the skills base of GCC nationals.

via Rizon announces new appointments in Doha | Appointments | AMEinfo.com.