26 Aviation International News • www.ainonline.com November 2003

week” for an FBO acquisition or in- vestment opportunity, CEO Roger McMullin said that the group cur- rently has no strategic plans for fur- ther European expansion. This is largely because TAG’s management is still busy with the ongoing multi- million-dollar redevelopment ofcontinued from preceding page the Farnborough site. Len Rayment, TAG’s director of FBO operations at Farnborough, noted that he does not expect to see major new FBO devel- opments and acquisitions around Eu- rope because “it is difficult to see how profitable expansion can take place.” As a major executive charter op- erator, TAG is also a significant con- AVIATION INTERNATIONAL NEWS sumer of handling services in Europe and, as an American with several years of experience in Eu- European FBO rope, McMullin himself is well placed to comment on FBO stan- dards. He told AIN that service REPORT standards at European bases have, for the most part, improved in recent TAG Aviation’s business aviation gateway at has been fully open since May. years, while the infrastructure avail- The company is operating the London-area airport under a 99-year lease. able to business-aviation users has continued to lag behind–even at 2003 some of Europe’s most modern air- ports such as Milan Malpensa. Swissport Spreads Its Wings Expansion, consolidation hit Europe Joint ventures and other forms of partnership have provided ways and means for companies to spread the BY CHARLES ALCOCK financial risk of FBO expansion while finding ways to circumvent the ecovering traffic levels sights, Haskins said that all fit the in the lucrative London market by FBO owners to sell because they do difficulties of actually getting access are driving desire for group’s standard expansion criteria acquiring the well respected Magec not have deep enough pockets for to key airport locations in Europe. both expansion and of being major business cities, finan- Aviation FBO from the Lynton the required investments. Swissport is a classic case in consolidation in the Eu- cial capitals or upscale resort areas. Group, as well as Osprey Aviation at Strong branding continues to be point. Now owned by UK invest- R ropean market for busi- She admitted that –the Bel- on the south an important goal for Signature, and ment group Candover, the former ness-aircraft handling services. But gian capital and home to the Euro- coast of England. Soon afterward it this has been physically achieved at handling division of the near-bank- at the same time bureaucratic and pean Commission–was considered bought the former Air Luxor facility the Luton, Paris and Southampton rupt flag carrier Swiss has estab- market-access restrictions at many but has now been ruled out due to at Paris Le Bourget Airport. bases. By year-end the group intends lished FBO alliances at Geneva of the continent’s airports continue restricted airport infrastructure and Last year Signature’s empire to extend its staff-training programs through the PrivatPort joint venture to hamper moves to open new FBOs the strength of long-established builders started work on a prospec- into Europe, although Haskins with PrivatAir, London Heathrow or take control of existing facilities. FBO Abelag Aviation. Frankfurt– tive new FBO development at Tou- stressed that this will by no means be (with Harrods Aviation) and Nice- And yet despite these opportu- Germany’s main financial center–is lon Airport in the south of . a one-way re-education process ema- Cote d’Azur Airport (with Universal nity inhibitors, several business-avi- understood to be one location under This deal has now been in the works nating from North America. “In many Aviation). ation service groups are now actively consideration, although this has not for more than 18 months and re- respects, our European colleagues With the exception of the Privat- preparing to build or extend their been officially confirmed. cently hit fresh legal obstacles over have a lot to teach us about service,” Port facility in Geneva, the com- FBO networks in Europe. Several “We would prefer to expand local government approval for the she concluded. For example, Signa- pany’s business-aviation handling have indicated to AIN that they in- through full ownership of facilities, construction work. ture Luton boasts the lowest ground- activities are largely carried out tend to complete fresh acquisitions, but such opportunities are few and Despite the difficulties encoun- incident (ramp rash) rate of any FBO under the Swissport Executive Avia- mergers and partnerships over the far between in Europe,” Haskins tered to date, Haskins said that, once in the company’s network. tion (SEA) brand name and extend next 12 months. Others are much said. She indicated that some of the the right location can be found, beyond Europe to locations such as less convinced that the time is yet half-dozen expansion targets being Europe can actually prove to be a TAG Sets Out Its Store São Paulo, Brazil. The company also right for the cycle of restructuring evaluated would entail buying fully more competitive marketplace for Another potential FBO chain offers handling for business aircraft and consolidation that many view as fledged FBOs, while others would prospective new entrants than the builder in Europe is TAG Aviation, through the Swissport worldwide inevitable in the sector. amount to some sort of more limited U.S. Her feeling is that, just as a which now owns facilities at the Lon- network of airline handlers, as well as According to Terry Yeomans, UK presence at an airport–perhaps part- new wave of costly environmental don-area Farnborough Airport (which through independent affiliate FBOs, representative for flight-planning nerships with other companies. One regulations drove FBO consolida- it operates under a 99-year lease from such as PrivatAir at Paris Le Bour- group Air Routing International, criterion for prospective new Signa- tion in the U.S., a similar trend the UK government), at Geneva in get and the Harrods Aviation bases at there is a good prima facie case for ture bases is that they should not (made more intense by tough new Switzerland and at Berlin’s down- London Luton and Stansted Airports. expanding FBO networks in Europe, burden the group with hefty new security requirements) will likely town Tempelhof Airport. Despite the SEA is now actively looking to but figuring out how to achieve this overheads. Among the sites being force some of Europe’s independent fact that he gets “about one offer each expand its network, according to effectively is by no means straight- considered are secondary airports, forward. “Major hubs in Europe are where business aircraft operators pretty much covered by the major could be offered an alternative gate- players, so, like property specula- way to a city’s crowded main airport. tion, the trick is finding the next hot To date, Signature’s record of ex- spot and getting the timing right,” he pansion in Europe has been some- said. “The 10 new European Union what checkered. In the mid-1990s it member countries would have to be established a bridgehead operation prime targets for expansion on paper, at Switzerland’s Zurich Airport, but trying to gauge traffic levels over where it built a brand-new executive investment levels is one of many terminal with local partner Zimex hurdles to overcome.” Aviation. Within a few years the For example, Signature Flight alliance fell apart and Signature Support is currently targeting six walked away from the location. separate European locations in its Undeterred, and with the backing expansion strategy. According to of its UK-based parent company, the U.S.-based group’s CEO, Beth BBA Group, Signature got a foothold Haskins, negotiations are already under way and at least one of these prospective deals is expected to Transairco’s business aircraft handling oper- ation–in Geneva Airport’s old general avia- be completed. tion terminal–is now establishing a new flight While declining to identify the dispatch department to interface directly with European locations in Signature’s the airport’s controllers and weather service. November 2003 Aviation International News Directory of European FBOs

This directory of European FBOs lists companies providing Feras, which is part of Universal Weather & business aircraft handling at each airport. Not all these companies Aviation’s UVGlobal Network, offers handling are full-service FBOs, but they are providers of handling services supervision at just about every major airport in for business aircraft–either directly or in a supervisory capacity. central and eastern Europe, Russia and the Airlines and airport companies providing handling for non- Commonwealth of Independent States. scheduled operators have generally not been included in this di- rectory, except where they appear to be the only source for business-aircraft handling at a particular location. This is be- from preceding page Swissport, according to Dave Kin- cause the scope of this report is intentionally focused on dedi- cated business aviation service companies. son, its COO for Europe. “There are Listings include telephone and fax numbers, e-mail addresses difficult handling license issues with and contact names, where available. These details have mainly airports, and Swissport can help with been found via company Web sites, and companies that could be this,” he explained. “We want to be contacted have been offered the opportunity to ensure that the able to offer a network [of executive correct information is supplied. Where no response was received handling operations] without neces- (and many FBOs were shockingly unresponsive to inquiries made sarily having to build new facilities, via their own Web sites and customer-service telephone num- since this can be very expensive and bers), AIN has included information found on company and airport hard to do. It’s a strong branded pres- Web sites. Some companies chose to provide more comprehen- ence that we are looking to achieve.” sive contact details thus have more detailed listings. Nonetheless, Kinson stressed the importance of painstakingly retrain- ing staff from the airline-handling vice president Alan George, who strength in scheduled carrier support world to avoid what he dubbed “the has been hired from Harrods Avia- is by no means irrelevant to the white overall syndrome” in which Graz (LOWG) tion to lead this effort. He told AIN future growth of SEA. What the air- treasured business aircraft, their op- Flughafen Graz Bodenservices that the group will consider acquisi- line handlers may lack in terms of erators and passengers are not ac- Tel 43 316 29 29 75; fax 43 316 29 26 32 tions and joint ventures, and might the finesse of the corporate aviation corded sufficient respect and atten- fgs@flughafen-graz.at even establish completely new busi- world, they make up for with mus- tion. Swissport has appointed key ness-aviation facilities, especially at cle in being able to command key staff to its SEA operations, such as (LOWI) Flughafen Innsbruck locations where it already has a infrastructure at Europe’s closely 31-year Geneva veteran Gerard Sol- Tel 43 512 22525 300; [email protected] strong presence in the scheduled air- controlled airports. For example, er, who is now the PrivatPort station line handling market. The group’s airstairs can be more readily bor- manager. He presides over the oper- Linz (LOLW) sole proviso on any deal is that it rowed for larger aircraft arrivals and ation from the new Terminal C3, Flughafen Linz will always be the majority share- hangar space found at difficult times which PrivatAir and the airport built Tel 43 7221 600 221; fax 43 7221 600 320 holder in any operation. through an airline’s maintenance last year. The tie-up with Swissport gac@flughafen-linz.at Though airline handling and operation, such as Swissport’s for- also provides PrivatAir and its other FBOs are generally viewed as being mer Swiss sibling, SR Technics. partners with access to supplementary Salzburg (LOWW) like chalk and cheese, Swissport’s This is what PrivatAir saw in staff to cope with peaks in demand. Services Tel 43 662 8580 261; [email protected] Soler indicated that SEA’s ex- pansion plans are likely to take in Vienna (LOWW) airports like Zurich, where the What’s Keeping Europe’s FBO Managers Awake At Night? Vienna Aircraft Handling group already has a strong presence. Tel 43 1 7007 22345; [email protected] Kinson said PrivatAir’s targets for “Get the bureaucrats and airports off our backs” is the prayer that prospective new FBOs largely focus most FBO managers seem to be uttering as they try to get some on major cities that are popular with (EBAW) hard-earned rest. For this European FBO Special Report, AIN the Geneva-based group’s executive Flying Service queried some 200 companies about current market conditions and charter customers. Tel 32 3 286 86 00; fax 32 3 281 45 01; info@flying-service.com got full responses from about 55 of them and partial responses from Paris Le Bourget is just such a about 25 more. When asked about the greatest difficulties they face Aviapartner and the changes they would like to see, the majority highlighted location, and in the almost three years since it acquired the former Tel 32 3 285 66 86; fax 32 3 218 68 25 excessive bureaucracy; lack of understanding on the part of airports [email protected] and government agencies; restrictive trading conditions; and inability FBO PrivatAir has made a major investment in upgrading this facility. to improve airport infrastructure or procedures. Airventure Just about the only FBO to enjoy anything resembling full control The largest of three hangars at the Tel/fax 32 3 285 66 66; [email protected] of its own destiny is TAG Aviation’s new Farnborough facility in the site has been refurbished, as have UK, where it operates the private airport under a 99-year lease from the lounge and office areas, and the Brussels National (EBBR) the government. But the company had to battle away for close to four pilots’ work and rest areas have Abelag Aviation years to seal this deal, and even then had to accept an annual limit of been improved and enlarged. Tel 32 2 720 5880; fax 32 2 721 2288 28,000 movements. [email protected] En route and airport slots continue to present obstacles to smooth According to manager Richard Webb, a lot of time has been taken and flexible business-aviation operations in Europe. Many FBOs said Brussels South Charleroi (EBCI) they are essentially powerless to improve the situation and wished to train and develop staff to fully grasp the degree of commitment and Execair their customers could be more understanding of the limitations under Tel 32 71 251 934; fax 32 71 251 129 which they operate. flexibility required in the corporate [email protected]; Contact: David Dumont One concern that has not explicitly surfaced in previous special handling business. “Our staff need reports on the same subject was greater price sensitivity on the part to develop an instinctive feel for BULGARIA of operators–and especially executive charter firms, where profit mar- when customers are not happy and gins have been squeezed over the last couple of years. “We are see- to be able to admit mistakes and Sofia (LBSF) Sofia Airport ing increasing attempts by operators to save small amounts by put them right promptly, rather than paying only for a few items of the available services, which must be Tel 3592 937 2401; fax 3592 937 2010 continually available [at the FBO’s expense] just in case,” com- trying to bury problems,” he said. vekovm@sofia-airport.bg mented Jet Aviation Geneva deputy manager Ian McArdle. “With the right experience, even the Aside from labor costs, the most serious rising expense for FBOs unpredictability of this business can Feras–see Czech Republic listing is security. More than two years after 9/11, costly new requirements– be predicted and planned for.” such as X-ray machines, closed circuit television and security CROATIA personnel–are filtering through from the airline arena. The problem Costs Drive Restructuring Zagreb (LDZA) for FBOs is that these requirements are often not being clearly com- SEA’s George also feels that the Zraca Luka Zagreb municated by the authorities and are certainly threatening the cher- rising cost of doing business will Tel 385 1 456 2697; fax 385 1 456 2468 ished flexibility of business aviation. drive a wave of restructuring and [email protected] “There needs to be clearer direction from government as to what consolidation in the European FBO is actually required,” said PrivatAir Le Bourget general manager Feras–see Czech Republic listing Richard Webb. “Almost all business aviation enclaves at airports are sector. “A lot of smaller FBOs are unique and have not evolved with security in mind.” limping along now because of the CYPRUS The London-area Harrods Aviation FBO chain appealed for con- increasing number of costly require- sistency in the security regulations applied to business aircraft opera- ments and restrictions,” he said. Larnaca (LCLK) & Paphos (LCPH) tions. In its view, there also needs to be greater uniformity in customs “The real challenge in this business Abelair Aviation and immigration procedures worldwide. is to get the scale of an operation Tel 357 246 43335; fax 357 246 43636 [email protected]; Web site: www.abelair.com.cy The European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) has been right [in terms of both staffing levels trying to help its members make sense of the new security environ- and facilities] and to train your peo- Louis Aviation Services ment and in early September held a workshop on the issue in ple to provide a genuine VIP service Berlin. Jet Aviation Zurich manager Robert Whitehead, who at- Tel 357 24 643 035; fax 357 24 643 042 tended the event, reflected that FBOs need to be seen to be proac- that is uniform at all times and in all [email protected] tive on the security front. “We need to convince governments that locations. Operators, and especially we are doing enough or we could have even more requirements U.S. operators, want certainty on the forced on us,” he warned. –C.A. standard of service available.” more on next page more on next page 28 Aviation International News • www.ainonline.com November 2003

FBO Directory continued from preceding page ments to the company’s premises in Zurich’s somewhat dated general Skylink Services aviation terminal. But the company Tel 357 24 643 334; fax 357 24 643 599 is powerless to make any substantial fl[email protected]; Contact: Nicolas Teppelis improvements without the support of the airport, which has steadfastly CZECH REPUBLIC resisted calls to make such invest- Brno (LKTB) ments. According to Whitehead, Jet Airport Brno Turany Aviation is still on the lookout for Tel 420 545 521 310; fax 420 545 521 808 further FBO expansion opportuni- [email protected] ties in Europe, but, in his view, such openings are few and far between. Prague (LKPR) Last year’s opening of Geneva’s CSL Handling new executive terminal did present Tel 420 220 114383; fax 420 220 111689 an opportunity for Jet Aviation to [email protected] significantly improve its facilities at Execair that airport. It leases about a third Tel 420 2 2011 3171; fax 420 2 3536 0001 of the building and had its At London , above, new FBO up and running Feras Prague Signature has opened a 100,000-sq-ft almost a year ahead of Pri- Tel 420 220 111 689; fax 420 220 111 695 complex, which includes a 74,000- vatAir, which actually [email protected]; Contact: Paul Wilkinson sq-ft hangar. Also at Luton, Harrods built the premises in part- Aviation (neé Metro Business Avia- nership with the airport. Feras–European Operations Center tion) has a new facility, which boasts But quite apart from the Tel 420 2333 43362; fax 420 2333 43102 a spacious lounge with meeting rooms and a VIP suite, right. new bricks and mortar, ex- [email protected]; Contact: Olga Lomteva perience and professional- (Feras, which is part of Universal Weather & Aviation’s UVGlobal Network [see separate listings for Russia and Poland], ism are the key differ- offers handling supervision at just about every major airport in continued from preceding page entiators among FBOs, ac- central and eastern Europe, as well as in Russia and the cording to Jet Aviation Commonwealth of Independent States. Full details are available George also predicted that Eu- Geneva deputy manager at its Web site: www.feras-cis.com) rope’s major airports will become Ian McArdle. He asserted more interested in business-avia- that the company’s han- DENMARK tion traffic as the average size of dling team is more stable Billund (EKBI) aircraft increases–and especially than that of rivals, with Billund Handling those arriving from North America. year–partly due to the fact that the many staff having between 15 and 20 Tel 45 7650 5050; fax 45 7533 8410; [email protected] In his view, this could prove prob- annual World Economic Forum has years of experience, and the most ju- lematic for FBOs that have pur- returned to its home in the Swiss nior of employees having at least two Copenhagen Kastrup (EKCH) posely set up shop at secondary mountain resort of Davos after a one- years under their belts. In his view, SAS Handling airports in the belief that their clients year hiatus in New York, and partly Jet Aviation also benefits from syner- Tel 45 3232 2030; fax 45 3232 2210; fl[email protected] cannot gain access to the main hubs due to success in winning business gies with its airline handling and due to congested airline activity. away from its rival. Before the Exe- maintenance divisions, allowing it to Novia cuJet takeover of Zimex, Jet Aviation tap heavy ground-support equipment Tel 45 3247 4747; fax 45 3151 1018 Global Player ExecuJet Zurich took the important handling and hangar space as needed. Puts Down Euro Roots Servisair contract from fractional-ownership Tel 45 3231 4076; fax 45 3231 4077 Another large-scale player that provider NetJets, mainly thanks to Universal Opens EuroOps Center [email protected] has steadily raised its presence in more competitive prices made pos- Universal Weather & Aviation’s Europe over recent years is Execu- sible by lower overhead costs. main service expansion in Europe Copenhagen Roskilde (EKRK) Jet Aviation. The South Africa- Jet Aviation station manager of late has been the opening of a ExecuJet Scandinavia based group is also active in the Robert Whitehead said he would new operations center for the conti- Tel 45 4619 0222; fax 45 4619 0387; RKEbriefi[email protected] Middle East through its Dubai sub- dearly like to make further improve- more on page 32 sidiary in the United Arab Emirates, Helsinki (EFHK) Business Flight Terminal as well as in Australia. Tel 358 9 8277 2780; fax 358 9 8277 2799 In May ExecuJet opened a new Room for Improvement: The Flight Planner’s Perspective business.efhk@fcaa.fi FBO at Copenhagen’s Roskilde Airport and in August it acquired the former Zimex FBO at Zurich. In search of a semi-detached overview of the European FBO FRANCE business, AIN interviewed Terry Yeomans, UK representative for According to group managing di- flight-planning group Air Routing International. Bordeaux (LFBD) rector Niall Olver, its expansion Air Assistance into handling is part of a conscious How do you rate service standards at European FBOs? Isn’t it Tel 33 5 57 92 68 68; fax 33 5 57 92 68 69 strategy to develop ExecuJet as a true that there are big variations in the quality of service around [email protected]; Contact: Bruno Lacoste the continent? comprehensive business-aviation Levels of service in Europe are pretty hard to gauge since there Cannes-Mandelieu (LFMD) service provider that also encom- are so many variables from airport to airport and country to country. It Cannes Airport Handling passes aircraft sales, executive char- would also be unfair to compare the service provided at a major hub Tel 33 4 93 90 41 10; fax 33 4 93 90 41 30 ter and maintenance. ExecuJet has with that of a minor municipal airport. The truth is that no one goes [email protected] close ties to Bombardier as a sales out of their way to provide an inferior service, but it might just happen Contact: Umberto Vallino/Oliver Dufour representative in Africa, the Middle that way due to a number of factors (political and logistical) beyond East and Australasia. the control of the handler. Lyon Bron (LFLY) The well appointed Zurich facil- The trick is working with the FBO/handler to make the best of Chambre de Commerce ity (built courtesy of Signature) has what you can get. Chances are you won’t get the multimillion-dollar Tel 33 4 78 26 81 09; fax 33 4 78 26 72 65 facilities often seen in the U.S. But what you will get is enthusiastic [email protected] been completely rebranded under staff trying to do their utmost to please. the ExecuJet name. ExecuJet Switzer- With the EC (European Commission) competition rules allowing Business and Commuter Aircraft land managing director Mike van additional handling companies access to airport service provision, Tel 33 4 78 26 72 52; fax 33 4 78 26 64 49 Berkel reflected that many FBOs there is always the potential for a dilution of quality, but I have not ssafl[email protected] around Europe are in need of seri- seen any cases in the corporate/business aircraft field thus far. It will ous refurbishment, but questioned be interesting to see what effect the 10 new European Union mem- Jean-Louis Pichard Representatives whether current economic condi- bers might bring to the fore next year. [email protected]; Contact: Jean-Louis Pichard tions would allow such investment In terms of significant variations in standards, those FBOs at major to be recouped over an acceptable hubs should be most able to provide consistent levels of service, but Lyon Satolas (LFLL) timeframe. He suggested that some with larger staffing levels it’s harder to build up person-to-person rela- Air Assistances tionships with handlers. Here, the outcome is generally satisfactory, [email protected]; Contact: Pierre Passeron of the continent’s newest business but not outstanding, service. We tend to find the best feedback is from aviation facilities might prove to be the smaller-airfield FBOs where the personal touch is more prevalent. Aviapartner white elephants for the companies What changes and improvements would you like to see at Euro- [email protected]; Contact: Didier Germanon that have built them. pean FBOs? That step from satisfactory to outstanding service should be every- Marseille (LFML) Jet Aviation one’s goal. FBOs should not rely solely on annual survey time to Aviapartner Sees Marked Recovery gauge their performance. The question is how many actually contact Tel 33 4 42 10 51 66; fax 33 4 42 10 41 65 Across the , ExecuJet’s the clients or flight-service providers to ask for feedback when there [email protected] long established competitor Jet Avi- aren’t votes to be counted? Listen to what the clients are telling you more on page 30 ation has seen a marked recovery in and act promptly when and where you can to resolve issues. –C.A. the number of aircraft handled this 30 Aviation International News • www.ainonline.com November 2003

FBOs upgrade despite bureaucracy FBO Directory continued from page 28 Montpellier (LFNG) Jade Aviation Tel 33 4 67 15 51 06; fax 33 4 67 15 51 13 [email protected]; Contact: Thierry Jagle by Charles Alcock one of which Multiflight itself has Meanwhile, Signature’s South- just taken delivery for charter opera- ampton base has added a crew rest sked to outline the main tions. It also offers almost 70,000 sq area and has provided Internet con- Nice-Cote d’Azur (LFMN) difficulties facing them ft of apron parking space. nections. However, in August, Signa- Swissport Executive/Universal Aviation today, many European Signature Flight Support has just ture closed its maintenance division Tel 33 4 93 21 58 12; [email protected] FBO managers cited opened a new 74,000-sq-ft hangar at at the south coast of England airport. Air Azur A the obstacles they must London Luton Airport, and has Also at Luton, Harrods Aviation Tel 33 4 93 21 37 37; fax 33 4 93 21 34 08 overcome to improve or expand their 12,000 sq ft of adjoining office ac- (formerly Metro Business Aviation) facilities. The fact is that most Euro- commodation on three floors avail- now has a new facility, which it Aviapartner (formerly Air Azur) pean airports are unwilling or unable able for based operators, a 6,000- opened this year to contend with Tel 33 4 93 21 37 37; fax 33 4 93 21 34 08 to give FBOs free range to develop sq-ft airside storage area, as well as a continued traffic growth. The new [email protected] infrastructure as they see fit. sizable ramp area between the new building is largely dedicated for pas- Nonetheless, despite these restric- structure and its existing lounges and senger use, offering a spacious Paris Le Bourget (LFPB) tions and difficult market conditions, operations department. In total, Sig- lounge with meeting rooms and a Aero Services Handling the past couple of years have seen nature now boasts about 100,000 sq ft VIP suite. The company’s original Tel 33 1 48 35 90 00; fax 33 1 48 35 8485 [email protected]; Contact: Steve Gulvin some important developments at the of ramp space and an equal amount premises at Luton, which are right continent’s FBOs. The highest-pro- of hangar space. Additionally, the air- next to the new building, are now Signature Flight Support file new facilities can be found in the port itself has about 100,000 sq ft of used by pilots and the company’s Tel 33 1 41 69 10 00; fax 33 1 41 69 10 10 apron available. Earlier this operations department. Contact: Louis Demarque year Gulfstream acquired Sig- On the south side of the British Last year management nature’s maintenance operation capital, Jet Aviation is now offering Dassault Falcon Services opened its own Jet Centre. The two-story Tel 33 1 49 34 20 28; fax 33 1 49 34 21 08 business aviation facility features passen- handling from its new Contact: Paul-Frank Bijou ger and crew lounges, flight-planning facility at Biggin Hill room, showers, kitchen and customs Airport. Its building, and immigration services. which opened in April Euralair last year, offers direct Tel 33 1 49 34 62 31; fax 33 1 49 34 63 58 [email protected] Contact: Denis Bourgois access to the company’s UK, Geneva, Stuttgart and dedicated ramp, as well PrivatAir Copenhagen. as on-site customs and Tel 33 1 49 92 75 75; fax 33 1 49 92 75 48 At Farnborough Air- immigration facilities. [email protected]; Contact: Richard Webb port–35 miles southwest There are passenger and of London–TAG Avia- crew lounges, a flight- Universal Aviation France tion’s purpose-built bus- planning suite, a kitchen Tel 33 1 4835 9638; fax 33 1 4835 8546 iness aviation center has and a pilot snooze room. [email protected]; Contact: Sandrine Laroche been fully open since Meanwhile, Biggin May. It consists of three Hill’s owner, Regional Air Entreprise hangars and adjoining of- Airports Ltd (RAL), is Tel 33 1 48 35 98 99; fax 33 1 48 35 93 18 [email protected] fices (covering 120,000 sq set to build a new ft), as well as a new con- 80,000-sq-ft hangar ad- Toulouse (LFBO) trol tower–all located on the north- at Luton and turned it into its first fac- jacent to the main terminal and also Chambre de Commerce west side of the airport, which TAG tory-owned service center in Europe. has further plans to add four more Tel 33 5 61 42 44 97; fax 33 5 61 71 93 83 controls under a 99-year lease from The next task for Signature at hangars next to the facilities of [email protected] Britain’s Ministry of Defence. Luton is to modernize its lounges growing executive charter firm Gold Demand for space in the new and flight-planning rooms. The scope Air International. RAL also now of- Aviapartner facility has been so strong that TAG and timetable for this work has yet fers business-aircraft handling at the Tel 33 5 34 60 52 50 is now preparing to commit to the to be determined. Signature claims Northolt Royal Air Force base in second phase of this major develop- to operate the London area’s only west London. Air Assistance ment, which will see another set of genuinely 24-hour FBO in the sense Just a year ago, London City Air- Tel 33 5 61 71 84 27 hangars, an executive terminal and that it is physically staffed around port opened its own Jet Centre, with SAA 40,000 more square feet of office the clock rather than operated at separate entrance and security fa- Tel 33 5 34 60 60 19 space completed by spring 2005. nights on an as-needed basis. cilities for business aircraft operators Meanwhile, the company is having more on page 34 Swissport/Air Littoral the temporary terminal building Tel 33 5 61 16 50 20 that it has occupied since 1997 moved next to the new hangars to GERMANY serve as an operations base until Berlin Schoenefeld (EDDB) the new hangars are ready. Acciona Airport Services The Farnborough site now of- Tel 49 30 6091 5534; fax 49 30 6091 5535 fers 18 acres of ramp space and [email protected]; Contact: Andreas Himm TAG is understood to have spent in excess of $100 million to transform Feras Germany the airport into a dedicated business Tel 49 30 8875 4500; fax 49 30 6908 8356 aviation gateway. At press time [email protected]; Contact: Chris Cartwright TAG was about to complete the ac- quisition of the Farnborough Avia- Berlin Tegel (EDDT) Acciona Airport Services tion Services maintenance facility, Tel 49 30 4101 3754; fax 49 30 4101 3755 which it intends to develop as a ser- [email protected]; Contact: Ulrich Heidebroek vice center for one or more leading business aircraft manufacturers. Feras Germany At Leeds-Bradford Tel 49 30 8875 4500; fax 49 30 6908 8356 in [email protected]; Contact: Chris Cartwright northern England, Multi- flight has just opened its Berlin Tempelhof (EDDI) new Business Executive Checkpoint B Jet Service Aviation Centre at a cost Tel 49 30 6951 3312; fax 49 30 6951 3314 Besides its business [email protected]; Contact: Andreas Himm of some $13 million. The aviation gateway at development includes a Farnborough Airport, TAG Aviation Berlin TAG Aviation has an FBO new taxiway and more Tel 49 30 6951 3880; fax 49 30 6951 3888 than 67,000 sq ft of addi- foothold at Geneva Airport, above. Jet Contact: Sebastian Pingel tional hangar space, tak- Aviation hosts a rival ing its total covered facility at Geneva, right. Feras Germany parking area to around Tel 49 30 8875 4500; fax 49 30 6908 8356 104,000 sq ft. There is [email protected]; Contact: Chris Cartwright room to accommodate up more on page 32 to four Boeing BBJ2s, 32 Aviation International News • www.ainonline.com November 2003

FBO Directory continued from page 30 TAG Aviation’s Farnborough Airport facility can handle any size business aircraft, includ- Cologne-Bonn (EDDK) ing this Boeing Business Jet. Airport Handling Services Tel 49 223 40 43 45; fax 49 223 40 27 83 [email protected] Feras started life out in the far east Dusseldorf (EDDL) of Russia with a mission to assure Jet Aviation Tel 49 211 454 970; fax 49 211 454 3423 visiting Western business aircraft [email protected]; Contact: Theo Rutten operators a reasonable level of ground support at what were then Frankfurt (EDDF) very much Soviet-era airports. Sub- General Aviation Terminal sequently, it has successfully taken Tel 49 69 690 73360; [email protected] this formula to some 60 airports throughout Russia, the Common- Feras Germany wealth of Independent States and Tel 49 69 695 90092 or 72568; fax 49 69 380 99500 [email protected]; Contact: Sven Sroka eastern Europe, and now coordi- pean customers, who no longer need nates all activities from a new oper- AVIATION INTERNATIONAL NEWS Hamburg (EDDH) to contact the group’s mission con- ations center in Prague. Service People European FBO trol center in Houston. Now, after more than a decade Tel 49 40 593333; fax 49 40 50 75 27 77 Another new initiative from the spreading western services stan- [email protected] REPORT flight-planning group is a joint ven- dards in the former communist ture with the UK-based Menzies states, Feras is setting up shop back Hannover (EDDV) Aviation Group called Ocean in the West. By month-end it will Aviation Handling Services Tel 49 511 977 2588; fax 49 511 733 661 2003 Bridge Handling at Ireland’s Shan- have established operations at Ger- non Airport. The full-service facil- many’s three Berlin airports–Tegel, continued from page 28 Munich (EDDM) ity, which opened in July in the Schoenefeld and Tempelhof–as General Aviation Terminal nent. From its base at Universal’s general aviation wing of Shannon’s well as at . Next Tel 49 89 975 214 98; fax 49 89 975 214 96 location, main terminal, is part of Universal’s month it is set to start operations at [email protected] the EOC can now coordinate com- UVglobal Network of FBOs and Munich Airport. plete trip-support requests for Eu- handling supervisors. Feras, which is a partner in Uni- Ebas International Tel 49 89 97 58 00 rope-based operators traveling versal Weather & Aviation’s UV- within Europe. The move was made West Meets East Meets West global Network, has built its Nuremberg (EDDN) in response to the demands of Euro- Specialist handling supervisor business at locations where the han- Aero-Dienst dling infrastructure is limited or even Tel 49 911 9356 0; fax 49 911 9356 401 virtually nonexistent. As company [email protected] Traffic Climbing, Prices Largely Stable founder Chris Cartwright put it, “What airports lack in services and Stuttgart (EDDS) facilities, we make up for with excel- Kurz Aviation Service Despite some depressed weeks at the height of the Iraq War, vol- Tel 49 711 948 3482; fax 49 711 948 3481 lent service personnel who can navi- umes of business-aviation traffic have generally been rising at Eu- gate difficult service environments.” [email protected]; Contact: Barbara Kick rope’s airports over the last year or so. FBOs surveyed by AIN reported traffic levels for the past 12 months as being up by an aver- In most locations, the English- GREECE age of 11.7 percent from the previous 12 months. speaking Feras teams are essentially Athens (LGAV) However, behind this seemingly encouraging statistic are some supervising third parties who physi- Athens Aviation Services important riders. First, the average was significantly bolstered by a cally perform the handling tasks, Tel 30 210 3533 717; fax 30 210 3532 407 small group of FBOs that enjoyed phenomenal growth (as high as 98 but without their interventions it is [email protected] or [email protected] percent) either because they had only recently opened or due to far from certain that the job would Contact: Jitte Boutens other exceptional circumstances. Second, the 12-month period get done to the standards of corpo- (The company also serves 22 other Greek airports, with all against which the last 12 months have been measured encom- rate operators. They also play a requests coordinated through the Athens base.) passed the period immediately following 9/11 when flying activity was vital role in navigating the bureau- suspended and then severely curtailed. In other words, fairly marked cracy of overflight and landing per- Euro Aviation growth was almost inevitable. Tel 30 210 353 4315; fax 30 210 353 2624 On average, the FBOs that supplied figures are handling around mits, as well as crew visas and [email protected]; Contact: Yiannis Arkoulis 320 aircraft (as opposed to movements) per month. And again, be- security arrangements. hind this average there are enormous fluctuations, with some bases According to Cartwright, direct Interplan dealing with no more than a few dozen aircraft each month, while ramp access continues to be an ob- Tel 30 10 35 36 119; fax 30 10 35 37 809 others receive between 1,000 and 2,000 aircraft during busy months. stacle at many of the locations where [email protected] The AIN survey also sought to gauge variations in handling prices Feras works. He would also like to around Europe. This was far from being a straightforward task due to HUNGARY see a more pragmatic approach key differences in the ways fees are set. taken by customs and immigration Budapest (LHBP) The survey requested a price to provide handling for a Dassault officials, but hinted that progress on General Aviation Terminal Falcon 2000 (mtow 35,800 pounds) carrying four passengers and ar- Tel 36 1 296 6292; fax 36 1 296 8449; [email protected] riving during peak hours. The hypothetical request called for basic this front has been knocked back by handling, aircraft cleaning, toilet and water service, ground power post-9/11 security concerns. Feras–see Czech Republic listing and parking for 10 hours. Nonetheless, when asked what Several FBOs found it hard to separate the handling charges from changes he has seen in his territory ICELAND associated landing and passengers fees levied on behalf of airports. since the introduction–to varying Reykjavik (BIRK) Nonetheless, some nimble number-crunching revealed a ballpark av- degrees–of market economics, Flight Services erage price of $693.63 (converted from local currencies at mid-Sep- Cartwright said that while most of Tel 354 552 1611; fax 354 552 9221 tember exchange rates). The price quotes ranged from $232 to the infrastructure has not changed fl[email protected]; Contact: Sveinn Bjornsson $1,103–apparently reflecting vast differences in FBO cost structures markedly, procedures at airports around Europe. have generally become somewhat Lack of clarity over precisely how the quotes were structured Keflavik (BIKF) more user friendly. In some cases, South Air makes it hard to offer direct apples-to-apples cost comparisons at in- Tel 354 421 2020; fax 354 425 0521; [email protected] dividual airports. However, at face value, FBOs at several European airports in eastern Europe and the airports provided quotes that were almost $200 apart–and ostensibly CIS have become more attuned to IRELAND for the same menu of services. business-aviation needs, as exempli- Dublin (EIDW) The vast majority of FBOs reported that they have not been able fied by the move to convert Prague Execair (formerly Parc Aviation) to increase their prices over the past year. Those that have hiked Airport’s former passenger terminal Tel 353 1 884 6144; fax 353 1 884 6177 rates have generally done so only at prevailing low rates of inflation into a dedicated executive facility. [email protected]; Contact: Conrad Phillips (around 2 or 3 percent). However, many FBOs indicated that rising Feras uses its own proprietary costs of doing business mean that they will not be able to resist in- software to allow all its stations to creases in charges for much longer. FBO Dublin monitor operations in real time, so Tel 353 1 844 4455; fax 353 1 844 4488; [email protected] None of the European FBO managers expressed any enthusiasm for the U.S. FBO business model built on fuel-sale profits rather than as to be ready to meet customer needs. Even so, explained Cart- Shannon (EINN) handling fees. Indeed, Signature CEO Beth Haskins predicted that the FBO Shannon U.S. industry will eventually–albeit slowly–shift toward unbundled ser- wright, short-notice changes to itin- Tel 353 61 475 444; fax 353 61 475 222; [email protected] vice charges for the sake of transparency and long-term profitability. eraries or handling requests can still Feras founder Chris Cartwright noted that eastern European create much bigger headaches for its Ocean Bridge Handling FBOs are increasingly charging in Euros, rather than their local cur- staff in this part of the world than Tel 353 61 712 059; fax 353 61 712060 rency or U.S. dollars. Given the current weakness of the greenback they would in the West. “Operators [email protected] on international exchange markets, this is not good news for Ameri- still don’t fully appreciate the lack can operators. –C.A. more on page 34 of flexibility in this part of the world,” he concluded. J 34 Aviation International News • www.ainonline.com November 2003

Upgrade FBO Directory continued from page 32 continued from page 30 Bologna (LIPE) ALOA Tel 39 051 647 2131; fax 39 051 647 2234; [email protected] Managers at TAG keep close tabs on sched- uled arrivals and departures at Farnborough Florence (LIRQ) Airport to ensure quality service, right. Below, Delta Aerotaxi passengers enjoy the fare from Dassault’s Tel 39 055 300 450; fax 39 055 301 092 Paris Le Bourget FBO. [email protected] Milan Malpensa (LIMC) G.S. Aviation Tel 39 02 5858 3656; fax 39 02 5858 3344 [email protected]

dinavian hub at Copenhagen Kas- Milan Linate (LIML) trup. Although Kastrup is slightly Universal Aviation closer to the heart of the Danish Tel 39 02 7020 0424; fax 39 02 7020 0406 capital, the total transit time from [email protected]; Contact: Lorena Carraro Roskilde can actually be quicker, according to ExecuJet Scandinavia Naples (LIRN) Gesac Handling managing director Henrik Burkal, Tel 39 081 789 6659; fax 39 081 789 6226; [email protected] because of its more straightforward handling process. Olbia (LIEO) Last month Dassault Falcon Ser- Eccelsa Aviation vice (DFS) embarked on a major, Tel 39 0789 563 480; fax 39 0789 563 481 three-phase redevelopment program [email protected]; Contact: Francesco Cossu at its Paris Le Bourget facility. The main part of its $8 million investment Rome Fiumicino (LIRF) is a new three-floor building, dubbed Air Consult set away from the main terminal at the unit for en route slot allocation, as H7, that will provide 38,880 sq ft of Tel 39 06 541 3724; fax 39 06 541 0608 [email protected] southwest end of the airport. The two- well as complimentary shuttle ser- space for offices, a café and a restau- (Air Consult supervises executive aircraft handling in story building features passenger and vices to local hotels. rant. This should be complete by the Rome and at all other major Italian airports.) crew lounges, a flight-planning suite, This year has seen the opening of end of next year, and it will also fea- showers, a kitchen, offices and cus- the first all-new FBO in Germany ture an underground parking lot. Rome Ciampino (LIRA) toms/immigration facilities. LCY in- since the opening of the new Munich Also by that time, DFS will be Aeroporti di Roma tends to double the size of this facility. Airport back in the early 1990s, and converting its existing parking lot Tel 39 06 6595 9511; fax 39 06 6595 9400 The airport has also invested in a the first ever in the country to be built into an apron area for aircraft, with [email protected]; Contact: Ivana Mercanti new 92,000-sq-ft apron that can ac- by a private company. At Stuttgart further space to be provided on the commodate about 20 aircraft. There Airport, Kurz Aviation Services has site of the current flight-operations ALOA–see Bologna listing are plans to triple this parking space built a new general aviation terminal building, which is to be demolished Turin (LIMF) with additional ramps to the north and with a pair of adjoining hangars with once the new building is open. This Sagat General Aviation south of the Jet Centre. This work is space for 42 aircraft up to the size of expansion will create room for an Tel 39 011 567 6456; [email protected] provisionally slated to start next a Gulfstream 550. additional six midsize business jets. spring, but a go-ahead will depend on The impressive new building fea- Total ramp capacity in the area im- Venice (LIPZ) further traffic growth. The FBO has tures a VIP suite and two semi-circu- mediately outside the DFS hangars Avia Partner eight full-time staff. LCY has also just lar conference rooms with a pan- will then be for 15 aircraft. The final Tel 39 041 541 6853 [email protected] opened a new holding area at the east oramic view of the ramp. There are stage of the restructuring will see the end of the runway. In the absence of a also crew rooms and a well appointed DFS executive charter operation re- Eagle Services parallel taxiway, this will allow up to briefing center staffed from 6 a.m. to located into the existing H1 building. Tel 39 041 260 3579; [email protected] four aircraft to be “backtracked” down 10 p.m. by specialists from both the On the Italian island of Sardinia, Save General Aviation the runway between movements and German weather services and the Olbia Airport’s Eccelsa Aviation FBO Tel 39 041 260 6906; fax 39 041 260 6909 should be complete by year-end. German air travel safety organization. now offers a wholly refurbished ex- [email protected]; Contact: Giovanni Barbitta Also new since the last AIN Eu- Outside these hours pilots can still ecutive terminal. The facility handles ropean FBO special report in May use the facility themselves. most of its traffic in the summer va- MALTA 2001 is Geneva Airport’s Terminal The FBO offers handling, cater- cation season, when the world’s rich Valetta (LMML) C3, built jointly by the airport au- ing, aircraft cleaning and passenger and famous descend on the nearby Sierra Aviation thority and the PrivatAir executive and crew support. It can provide Costa Smeralda resort area (see Tel 356 79 492433; fax 356 21 37 5958 charter group. In May PrivatAir es- security for aircraft and personnel AIN, September 2003, page 108). [email protected]; Contact: Stanley Bugeja tablished a handling operation in the through its subsidiary Heidenheim Eccelsa now offers a 17,200-sq-ft new facility through its new Privat- Security and Guard Service, and also terminal with five passenger lounges, Port joint venture with handling has its own car-rental firm on site. a VVIP lounge, operations desk, crew group Swissport–the former divi- Through a joint venture between rest and work rooms, showers, a shop Amsterdam (EHAM) KLM General Aviation sion of flag carrier Swiss that is now and ExecuJet selling local products, a complimen- Tel 31 20 649 2455; fax 31 20 648 8180; [email protected] owned by the UK-based Candover Scandinavia, Denmark’s first dedi- tary buffet, real-time satellite newspa- Group. PrivatAir has sublet space in cated FBO opened its doors in Feb- per service and aircraft and yacht Amsterdam Jet Center the new building to rival FBOs TAG ruary at Copenhagen Roskilde charter offices. Next year the com- Tel 31 20 405 3535; fax 31 20 405 3534 Aviation and Jet Aviation. Airport. The new building is ex- pany intends to add further shopping [email protected]; Contact: Simon Lobrij On the other side of the field, tremely pilot-friendly, with rest areas, facilities, a new flight-planning room Transairco (part of the Pilatus a gym and flight-planning facilities. and wireless Internet connections. Eindhoven (EHEH) group) offers an alternative business Roskilde now promotes itself as Amsterdam Schiphol Airport Eindhoven Handling aircraft handling operation in the a 24-hour alternative business avia- has promised to build a new gen- Tel 31 40 251 61 42; [email protected] more on page 38 airport’s old general aviation termi- tion gateway to the crowded Scan- Rotterdam (EHRD) nal. It is now establishing a Rotterdam Jet Center new fully operational flight Tel 31 10 298 4949; fax 31 10 298 4948 dispatch department to inter- [email protected] face directly with the Geneva controllers and weather ser- Lelystad (EHLE) vice. This should be ready by Lelystad Airport next summer. Transairco has Tel 31 320 284791; fax 31 320 284793; [email protected] also introduced its own di- rect link to Eurocontrol’s POLAND central flow management Warsaw (EPWA) Feras Polska Tel 48 22 650 3394; fax 48 22 650 3395 [email protected]; Contact: Borys Slawomirski Northern Executive Aviation at , UK, is a full-service FBO that of- fers handling, maintenance and aircraft more on page 36 charter, as well as other services. 36 Aviation International News • www.ainonline.com November 2003

FBO Directory continued from page 34 SWEDEN Tel 44 1332 811179; fax 44 1332 811139 [email protected]; Contact: Peter Norwell Stockholm Arlanda (ESSA) PORTUGAL Novia Edinburgh (EGPH) Faro (LPFR) Tel 46 8 797 80 34; fax 46 8 593 611 31 Execair PTS Handling Services [email protected] Tel 44 131 317 7447; fax 44 131 317 7484 [email protected]; Contact: Alan Aitken Lisbon Cascais (LPCS) JetLeg Bromma Handling Farnborough (EGLF) Tel 351 21 445 8012; fax 351 21 444 3515; [email protected] Tel 46 8 797 68 72; fax 46 8 29 70 28 TAG Aviation Tel 44 1252 379 000; fax 44 1252 379 051 Lisbon Portela de Sacavem (LPPT) VIP Service Contact: Len Rayment Air Luxor Tel 46 8 797 6210; vip [email protected] Tel 351 21 00 622 50; fax 351 21 00 622 51 Glasgow (EGPF) SWITZERLAND [email protected] Execair Geneva (LSGG) Tel 44 141 887 8348; fax 44 141 887 9099 PTS Jet Aviation [email protected]; Contact: Brian Smith Tel 351 21 848 9011; fax 351 21 840 2390 Tel 41 58 158 1811; fax 41 58 158 1815 Gloucestershire (EGBJ) [email protected] Executive Aviation Services ROMANIA Contact: Bernard Ratsira/Ian McArdle Tel 44 1452 857006; fax 44 1452 856737 Bucharest Baneasa (LRBS) [email protected] Romanian Airport Services PrivatPort (PrivatAir/Swissport joint venture) Tel 41 22 306 1260; [email protected] Tel/fax 40 21 232 0551; [email protected] Inverness (EGPE) Contact: Gerard Soler Execair Feras–see Czech Republic listing Tel 44 1667 461122; fax 44 1667 461133 TAG Aviation [email protected]; Contact: Brian Scott Bucharest Otopeni (LROP) Tel 41 22 717 0123; fax 41 22 717 0126 Menzies Aviation Group [email protected]; Contact: Erturk Yildiz Leeds Bradford (EGNM) Tel 40 21 201 3314; fax 40 21 201 4806 Multiflight Transairco Tel 44 113 238 7146; fax 44 113 238 7158 RUSSIA Tel 41 22 710 44 34; fax 41 22 710 44 40 heather.cawthorne@multiflight.com [email protected]; Contact: Robert Zahler Moscow Sheremetyevo (UUEE) Contact: Heather Cawthorne RusAero Zurich (LSZH) Liverpool (EGGP) Tel 7 095 755 5600; fax 7 095 755 5606; [email protected] ExecuJet Switzerland (formerly Zimex Aviation) Liverpool Handling (RusAero also provides handling at many other airports through- Tel 41 1 876 55 76; fax 41 1 804 16 12 Tel 44 151 486 6161; fax 44 151 486 5151 out Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States.) [email protected] [email protected] Streamline Ops Jet Aviation London Biggin Hill (EGKB) Tel 7 095 766 8845; fax 7 095 363 6566 Tel 41 58 158 8466; fax 41 58 158 8475 Biggin Hill Executive Aircraft Handling [email protected] [email protected]; Contact: Robert Whitehead Tel 44 1959 578550; fax 44 1959; 576404 [email protected] Moscow Vnukovo (UUWW) TURKEY Contact: Peter Lonergan Feras Ankara (LTAC) Tel 7 095 436 6677; fax 7 095 926 5038 London City (EGLC) [email protected]; Contact: Andrei Filchenko Gozen Air Services Tel 90 312 398 03 77; fax 90 312 398 03 46 Tel 44 207 646 0401; fax 44 207 473 9596 [email protected]; Contact: Darren Grover General Aviation Terminal [email protected]; Contact: Timucin Bingol Tel 7 095 436 73 40; fax 7 095 933 79 20 London Gatwick (EGKK) [email protected] Istanbul Ataturk (LTBA) Aerowings Interflight Executive Air Services Tel 44 1293 569000; info@interflight-gatwick.com Tel 90 212 426 01 21; fax 90 212 426 01 20 [email protected] Bratislava (LZIB) London Heathrow (EGLL) Slovak Air Services Gozen Air Services Executive Aircraft Services Tel 421 2 4857 5318; fax 421 2 4329 2302 Tel 90 212 663 08 79; fax 90 212 663 08 56 Tel 44 208 897 6158; fax 44 208 562 9727 [email protected] [email protected]; Contact: Bora Yasmut [email protected]

Feras–see Czech Republic listing Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen (LTFJ) Harrods Aviation/Swissport Executive Aviation Gozen Air Services Tel 44 208 585 7000; fax 44 208 585 7020 SLOVENIA Tel 90 216 588 00 75; fax 90 532 300 00 74 [email protected]; Contact: John Coles [email protected]; Contact: Erden Boke Ljubljana (LJLJ) London Luton (EGGW) General & Business Aviation Center Izmir (LTBJ) Signature Flight Support Tel 386 64 261 491; fax 386 64 261 490 Tel 44 1582 724182; fax 44 1582 455453 [email protected] Gozen Air Services Tel 90 232 274 21 91; fax 90 232 274 21 11 handling@signatureflight.co.uk; Contact: Trevor King Feras–see Czech Republic listing [email protected]; Contact: Yusuf Aydogan (Gozen Air Services also provides handling at other major Harrods Aviation (formerly Metro Business Aviation) Turkish airports–see www.gozenair.com for details.) Tel 44 1582 589305; fax 44 1582 738377 [email protected] Madrid Barajas (LEMD) Contact: Kerry Besgrove Gestair Tel 34 91 329 30 31; fax 34 91 393 68 99 Aberdeen (EGPD) London Northolt (EGWU) [email protected] Execair Northolt Handling (Gestair also provides handling at most other Tel 44 1224 723636; fax 44 1224 725458 Tel 44 208 845 2797; fax 44 208 845 6803 major Spanish airports.) [email protected]; Contact: Brian Scott [email protected]; Contact: Robert Walters

United Aviation Services Birmingham (EGBB) London Stansted (EGSS) Tel 34 91 393 67 75; fax 34 91 393 68 94 Execair Harrods Aviation (formerly Metro Business Aviation) [email protected]; Contact: Cristobal Garcia Die Tel 44 121 782 1999; fax 44 121 782 1899 Tel 44 1279 665 385; fax 44 1279 665 336 [email protected]; Contact: Peter Norwell [email protected]; Contact: Mike Irvin Universal Aviation Spain Tel 34 91 393 68 90; fax 34 91 393 68 91 Bournemouth (EGHH) Inflite [email protected]; Gonzalo Barona Execair Tel 44 1279 831000; fax 44 1279 837900 Tel 44 1202 364 373; fax 44 1202 364 374 operations@inflite.co.uk Madrid Torrejon (LETO) [email protected]; Contact: Virginia Talbot United Aviation Services Universal Aviation (UK) Tel 34 91 393 67 75; fax 34 91 393 68 94 City (EGSC) Tel 44 1279 680 349; fax 44 1279 680 572 [email protected]; Contact: Cristobal Garcia Die Cambridge City Airport Handling [email protected]; Contact: Sean Raferty (United Aviation Services also provides handling at Tel 44 1223 373669; fax 44 1223 373833 most major Spanish airports.) [email protected]; Contact: Malcolm Gault Manchester (EGCC) Northern Executive Aviation Universal Aviation Spain-see under Madrid Barajas Cardiff (EGFF) Tel 44 161 436 6666; fax 44 161 436 3450 Execair [email protected]; Contact: David Antrobus Palma de Mallorca (LEPA) Tel 44 1446 712637; fax 44 446 712665 Mallorcair [email protected]; Contact: David Pearce Southampton (EGHI) Tel 34 9 71 789 522; fax 34 9 71 787 932; Signature Flight Support Contact: Miguel Mudoy East Midlands (EGNX) Tel 44 2380 616600; fax 44 2380 629684 Execair eghi@signatureflight.co.uk; Contact: Andrea Hopkins J 38 Aviation International News • www.ainonline.com November 2003

Jet Aviation’s new business aviation ter- minal at Biggin Hill has separate lounges for crews and passengers, as well as a flight-planning suite, kitchen and pilot snooze room.

flight-planning suite and offices. The airport itself has recently opened a new ATC tower and has also commis- sioned its long-awaited ILS approach. •Larnaca, Cyprus–Skylink Services has added two new Mercedes V-Class executive minivans for passenger and crew transport and a Mercedes S500 for carrying VIPs. AVIATION INTERNATIONAL NEWS • Athens, Greece–According to Athens Avia- tion Services, negotiations are under way to European FBO build a separate general aviation terminal at the Greek capital’s new international air- REPORT port. Currently, business-aviation operations are handled through part of the main pas- senger terminal. The Greek handling group has recently upgraded its own operations 2003 suite. continued from page 34 • Dublin, Ireland–The airport now offers a dedicated fuel service for business aircraft eral aviation terminal to replace the old operators to alleviate problems with refuel- building on the east side of the site. The ing during peak periods. Meanwhile, the modest 7,850-sq-ft facility was to have been Execair group’s Dublin facility has bought a ready during the first half of next year, but in Lektro tug to facilitate pushback and inter- September the Dutch airport’s management stand towing for aircraft up to the size of the announced that the project is being delayed Bombardier Global Express. to 2005 due to financial constraints. • Birmingham, UK–Execair has installed its Amsterdam’s two existing FBOs–KLM own refueling facilities and has bought a General Aviation and the newly formed Ams- new Lektro tug. The FBO group is now terdam Jet Center (AJC), which opened for planning a full refurbishment of its Edin- business at Schiphol in April–will share the burgh facility. At its Glasgow base, Execair new building. AJC has already signed an option has doubled the size of its lounge to create a to occupy up to 3,200 sq ft in the new terminal. “quiet area” for passengers and crew. This Schiphol’s management is building the month it expects to open a dedicated pilot new executive terminal despite the fact that it briefing room and a meeting room. would prefer to minimize the amount of busi- • London, UK–Harrods Aviation at Stansted ness aviation traffic at the busy hub. Accord- Airport has just opened a dedicated airside ing to AJC managing director Aad Ruijgrok, departure lounge that can accommodate up European Union rules on airport access have to 50 security-cleared passengers. It also prevented the airport from imposing a com- now has mobile baggage and cargo screening plete ban on business aviation, but it has con- units to facilitate new security procedures. tinued to restrict the availability of slots to • Berlin, Germany–Acciona Airport Ser- nonscheduled operators. The airport has said vices has created a dedicated rest area and that it intends to virtually eliminate business now has Internet connections for use by aircraft movements between 10:25 p.m. and 7 flight crew at its Tegel Airport facility. a.m. as part of its bid to appease political • Venice, Italy–A new crew lounge has been pressure to reduce night-time noise. opened this year by the airport’s general AJC is owned by the established Rotterdam aviation department. Dedicated fuel sup- Jet Center (RJC), which is the sole FBO at plies are to be made available to business Rotterdam Airport–40 miles to the southeast. aircraft operators by year-end. Ruijgrok told AIN that RJC has seen a 20-per- • Istanbul, Turkey–Gozen Air Services has cent increase in traffic over recent months, with opened an office at Istanbul’s new Sabiha increasing numbers of larger corporate aircraft Gokcen Airport, which is on the Asian side flying in from North America and Asia. of the Bosphorus River. Also in the Netherlands, Eindhoven Air- • Gloucestershire, UK–The terminal building port is remodeling its general aviation area, has been extended to accommodate a grow- with the addition of a new operations depart- ing number of executive operations, with new ment and a lounge for both passengers and offices, a lounge and reception area. The ex- crew. The move is a victory for business avia- isting hangar is being extended and another tion, which has previously faced the prospect of new hangar will be built by next May, with eviction due to tough environmental proposals. further plans for two more hangars (with a According to Spanish executive handling total area of 25,000 sq ft) to be in place just a group United Aviation Services, Madrid Bara- few months later. The runway is being resur- jas Airport is to open a new executive terminal faced to handle larger business jets. in 2005, which will coincide with the opening • Valetta, Malta–According to local FBO of its fourth runway. Capacity constraints at the Sierra Aviation, there are plans to build a ded- main gateway have driven business-aircraft op- icated executive terminal building at the is- erators to use the city’s military-controlled Tor- land’s Luqa International Airport. This facility rejon Airport as an alternative, but this will could be open by the end of next year. J cease to be an option once the redevelopment of Barajas is complete. Despite heightened security at Europe’s airports, Other recent or planned invest- some FBOs–such as Transair at Geneva–still ments by Europe’s FBOs include: allow cars to be pulled up to business aircraft. • Hamburg, Germany–Acciona Airport Services, which provides business aircraft handling at all three Berlin airports, is planning to open a new base at Hamburg’s Fuhlsbuettel Airport in January. No further details of the develop- ment are currently available. • Florence, Italy–Delta Aerotaxi opened a new facility in Septem- ber. It includes a lounge, a crew room with satellite television, a