by business editor Trevor Sturgess

A private jet operator and aviation services business is creating 50 jobs at Biggin Hill airport.

PremiAir, which operates from five other UK bases, has bought the former Gold Air maintenance and operating facilities, as well as a fleet of LearJet private aircraft, for an undisclosed sum.

David Gold, now a director of West Ham United, and his Kent-based brother Ralph, previously ran the Gold Air executive charter business.

Biggin Hill becomes PremiAir's second fixed wing maintenance operation and will be an important base for private jet and executive helicopter charter operations.

"We're exceptionally pleased with this acquisition which will further enhance PremiAir's unique range of services," said David McRobert, PremiAir's group managing director.

"Biggin Hill is a valuable new base for us with attractive additional benefits.

"We plan to home-base executive helicopters at Biggin for charter use, which we recognise is growing fast through major infrastructure and facility investment.

"It's an extremely rapid 10 minute helicopter hop from Biggin into London using our own London Heliport Shuttle services.

"We're delighted to add Biggin Hill to our existing bases at Farnborough, Oxford, Denham, Blackbushe and The London Heliport."

PremiAir was founded 30 years ago and is the UK's largest executive helicopter charter and management company.

It is privately owned by the von Essen Group and a sister company of von Essen Hotels which owns and operates 30 luxury hotels throughout the UK and Europe.