A new business jet "airline" launched at the show is offering a charter service throughout the Gulf region from its Bahrain base.
Bexair has taken delivery of a Cessna Citation Excel with another due early next year. It is also on the verge of taking delivery of a Bombardier Challenger 604.
Bexair has worked with the Bahraini civil aviation authority to establish rules for business jet operations. As a result the company's aircraft are the first outside the royal flight to be Bahraini registered.
John Davie, from consultancy Vector Management, which is helping create the company, says Bahrain's CAA has opted for the Joint Aviation Authorities JAR-OPS standards, a move which will work against leased privately owned aircraft but favour properly registered airlines.
Davie says although the company is based in Bahrain it is owned by Saudi Arabia's Asasco Aviation, which charters and trades aircraft.
According to Davie, the potential market in the Gulf for business jet charters is "$1 billion a year, but only if it is properly managed and regulated. It doesn't exist at present and the market needs to be stimulated." Bexair has four businesses - the airline, a VIP terminal at Bahrain airport due to open in mid-December, fixed-base operator services and third-party aircraft management, he adds.
While Bexair is a charter airline, Davie says it will sell bulk hours to companies for use at undetermined times. This will allow Bexair to offer something similar to fractional ownership programmes.
Davie says the fleet will double next year and grow to 10-15 aircraft by the fourth year of operation. A Cessna CitationJet 1 is already on order for delivery next year and other types including Embraer's Legacy and the Avro RJ family are being considered.
Source: Flight International
