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| Executive Travel: Riyadh |
Private Aviation
Michelle Seaton
09/01/2006
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Riyadh is one of the fastest-growing cities in the world, and Saudi Arabia’s recent induction into the WTO is quickening the pace. Riyadh’s insatiable demand for modern infrastructure and services is evidence of a city struggling to keep pace with its own success. Foreign investors are responding by funding expansion of the private aviation sector.
With at least
24 hours’ notice, each of these companies
can manage all ground-handling services. |
King Khaled International Airport, located 21 miles north of the capital city, is the only large commercial airport serving Riyadh. It has separate general aviation and special flight services complexes. Though this is mainly a commercial hub, there are a number of services available to aid the private jet passenger.
Only two FBOs exist in Riyadh; both operate out of King Khaled. Jet Aviation, one of the largest international aviation companies, runs a ground-handling service in Riyadh with its own hangars and VIP lounge. Although Jet Aviation’s management group has an extensive fleet of aircraft for charter, none of them are based at the airport in Riyadh. However, they can be made available with some notice (201.288.8400, www.jetaviation.com,).
The second FBO is the Arabian Aircraft Service Co. (Arabasco), which also runs full ground-handling services with a separate VIP lounge and dedicated hangar space (+966.1.220.1981, www.arabasco.com).
Of the two FBOs, only Arabasco provides maintenance on light jets. A different company, Alsalam, provides maintenance for the larger commercial jets that land in Riyadh. It has four climate-controlled hangars in which it carries out routine maintenance on large commercial and civil aircraft. It can also refurbish aircraft interiors. The company has recently become an official repair center for the Boeing Business Jet.
With at least 24 hours’ notice, each of these companies can manage all ground-handling services, including crew visas, ground transportation and accommodations for crew members, landing permits and parking or hangar arrangements. But they most often work with an intermediary. The best-known international handlers include BaseOps International, based in Houston (281.556.2400, www.baseops.com), Universal Weather, also based in Houston (www.univ-wea.com, 800.231.5600), and Jeppesen, based in San Jose, Calif. (www.jeppesen.com, 408.963.2000).
The ground-handling service with the most experience in the region is Hadid International (+971.4.299.7777, hadid.org). Although the company is based in Dubai, it has offices in Syria, Senegal and London. Hadid International handles everything from Middle Eastern and European flyover permissions to landing permits and fees. It can generate computerized air traffic control flight plans. It also has a concierge service that will book hotel arrangements, ground transportation and tourism programs.
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