Rizon, a Middle East and UK-based executive aircraft charter and management group, said it has received approval from Qatar Civil Aviation Authority to operate business jets from its base in Doha.

With this, Rizon becomes the first Doha-based private jet company to get the air operating permit (AOP) from Qatar, the company said in a statement.

Complementing its existing UAE (Sharjah) AOC, Rizon’s Qatar AOP is in recognition of Rizon's high standard of flight operations and the professionalism it is demonstrating in building a full service business aviation company in Doha, it added.

Its Qatar AOP is the precursor to the establishment of a brand new air charter, MRO and FBO facility the Qatari-backed company is building at the city’s Doha Airport, which will be ready for early 2010, the statement said.

Rizon is gearing up to support its expanding Bombardier Challenger 605 aircraft fleet, as well as preparing for service entry of its first managed Global XRS which will join its first Challenger 605 into service, based in Doha.

Rizon, which was established in 2007, has offices in the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Jeddah and London and is focused on providing VIP travel solutions and business aircraft support in the Middle East, Asia, India, Russia, Africa and Europe.

Its mission is to meet increasing demand for corporate aircraft charter in the GCC 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.

In Doha and London, Rizon is advancing plans to become an authorised service centre for various OEM’s, serving operators in the Gulf, Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent and other emerging markets in Asia and Eastern Europe, it added.-TradeArabia News Service