The hearing of Bermuda Aviation Services Ltd.'s (BAS) legal case against the Government moved a step closer after the Attorney General filed a petition on the Government's behalf.

The company and its subsidiary Aircraft Services filed a writ against Premier Ewart Brown, in his role as Minister of Transport, and Attorney General Phil Perinchief, with the company claiming a breach of its exclusive rights to provide private jet services at L.F. Wade International Airport.

According to BAS, their exclusivity deal has been extended to 2014, but new competitor the Sovereign Flight Support Ltd. has been given the green light to offer a rival service.

BAS chief executive Kenneth Joaquin exclusively told The Royal Gazette yesterday the wheels had been set in motion for court proceedings.

He said: "We have not had a response from the Premier, but the Attorney General has filed a petition on the Government's behalf and our lawyers were in court this morning.

"We expect to hear back from the Attorney and see how we stand from there.

"I know Government submitted their petition to determine how to proceed, so we are waiting to hear back from our Attorneys."

A date for the hearing could be set as early as next Monday.

In the meanwhile the Sovereign Flight Support Ltd. is going ahead with the conversion of a former US Air Force building on Southside into a private jet passenger terminal, according to the company's co-founder Sheldon Steede.

"We are working on it at the moment, but right now it is a little bit premature to say anything in particular," he said.

The building has a 275,000 square-foot apron where private jets can be parked in addition to parking for 13 cars.