2013 • INTERNATIONAL International Top Ranked Fbos
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Evergreen Apple Nigeria international Top Ranked FBOS Europe’s struggling economies generally made for lean traffic volumes at FBOs last year. But, buoyed to some degree by traffic coming from more robust economies on other continents, the strong European FBOs were able to hold their heads above water. High levels of competition in Europe probably also contributed to another strong showing by FBOs there in AIN’s annual survey. Here is a snapshot of some of the highest-rated facilities, those achieving an overall average score of 8.0 or higher. the German capital’s new Berlin Branden- to prove their worth as trouble-shooters. burg Airport, the encroachment of air- In India, for example, the permit process traffic increases above those recorded in line traffic at Moscow’s crowded Vnukovo and task of securing aircraft parking can 8.9 the same period of 2011. Importantly, Airport and the impending privatization be extraordinarily challenging. The com- growth continued even after the one-off of Spain’s airport authority, AENA. pany’s goal is to be an extension of the TAG Aviation, boost provided by the Olympic Games But despite all that, the FBO veteran client’s flight department, supplement- Farnborough, UK hosted by London last summer. Move- would not turn his back on the Old World. ing its agent network with the planning This year marks the 10th anniversary ment growth has continued in the early “I would still look for acquisitions in power of its FOS trip support software. of TAG Aviation taking over the run- months of this year. TAG Farnborough, England Europe because some locations are profit- “When operators are flying around ning of Farnborough Airport from the The main focus at TAG Farnborough able and there are FBOs that are not part the world these days they’ll find some UK Ministry of Defence. Simply put, a this year is to advance its ambitions to of the big groups that may well be inter- excellent places [FBOs], and some places decade of dedicated effort and an invest- be more environmentally friendly. From ested in selling right now,” he told AIN. where there is no choice available,” said ment of approximately $160 million have January 1 it imposed its own ban on air- Report by Charles Alcock, data compiled by David Leach 2013 • INTERNATIONAL “Outside Europe there is still not much Bartholomew. “But the worst situation paid off. craft that don’t meet Stage 4 noise lim- to be acquired; in many places everything is when there is a surprise for the oper- Farnborough is one of Europe’s few its. Its wider goal is to be carbon neutral needs to be built, and it may be hard there ator [in terms of poor service or com- dedicated business aviation airports by 2019. The airport is reducing car- number of real, dedicated FBOs can still recently when he left to form his own con- to deliver service standards that are any- plications], and that’s where managing and, unlike FBOs at France’s Paris Le bon emissions by cutting energy use for Growth uncertainty, tight margins be counted on one hand. So does the sultancy called Airplan. Among other thing like what the market expects.” expectations is so important.” Bourget Airport, TAG benefits from needs such as heating and by provid- FBO industry lack imagination and busi- tasks, the Switzerland-based firm is trying In Migeon’s view, the FBO business Flat and even declining traffic in having the place all to itself. That said, ing fixed electric ground power points and blocked opportunity present ness acumen, or are there valid reasons to help FBOs maximize their potential. case stands or falls on traffic volumes and Europe has not deterred Landmark Avi- TAG Farnborough Airport does face to avoid the need for visiting aircraft to for this imbalance? “In Europe the past 12 location, but many companies don’t help ation from stepping up its ambitions out- stiff competition from at least half a run their APUs. challenges for international FBOs To try to make sense of the months were definitely rather themselves by failing to market effec- side its North American home territory. dozen other London-area airports and a apparent contradictions, AIN mediocre for traffic, not ter- tively. “A lot of FBOs still don’t sell their With backing from its new owners, the strong array of rival FBOs. At face value, the current state of the such as Europe and feverishly expanding quizzed a broad cross-section ribly bad, but disappointing services proactively, they don’t really look Carlyle Group, the company has begun It would be easy to assume that TAG 8.4 global FBO sector is fairly easy to sum- in the new territories. But the reality belies of FBO leaders and flight- with lots of ups and downs,” for new clients, they don’t visit existing construction of a new terminal at Paris Farnborough’s continuing popularity TAG Aviation, marize. Outside the Americas, Europe the obvious, and so we find a paradox in planning and support experts. Migeon said. “Even the ups clients, and they underestimate the value Le Bourget. At almost 13,000 sq ft, the is driven largely by the iconic terminal Geneva, Switzerland remains at best flat in terms of traffic vol- which no fewer than eight FBOs continue There was clear consensus were not as up as you would of having a great relationship with the new facility will be more than three times building the Switzerland-based group Improvements to its Geneva facili- umes, while markets such as Asia and to battle it out for declining traffic at Paris that while FBO costs are ris- like them to be and every now trip-planning companies.” larger than its current premises. General opened in 2006. This remains impres- ties in recent years may well be what has Africa continue to see strong growth. The Le Bourget Airport (with rumors of more ing, competitive pressures for and then there have been peri- In the trip-planning fold is Rockwell manager Denis Bourgois asserts it will be sive, but TAG has continued to invest in prompted local rivals to embark on their Middle East is somewhere in the middle. market entrants to come). Similarly, up the most part prevent increases Cedric Migeon, ods when the traffic drops and Collins Flight Services. According to the first truly purpose-built FBO at the the site and now offers a pair of three- own wave of investment at the Swiss air- So market conditions amount to a the road in London, there are now five in handling fees, leaving profit Airplan founder it’s not clear why.” flight operations manager Tim Bar- airport. The company also has an FBO at bay hangars providing 240,000 sq ft of port, but for now TAG Aviation’s FBO mix of challenging times in which costs FBOs scrapping it out at the UK capital’s margins squeezed across the So why not turn your back tholomew, the business aviation customer Nice Cote d’Azur Airport and represen- space for aircraft storage, maintenance has stayed ahead of the pack in AIN’s in some locales continue to rise, fur- Stansted Airport alone, with operators board. But everyone concluded that this on Europe and chase better FBO oppor- base is rapidly becoming more geograph- tation at eight other locations in France. and offices. annual survey. Three years ago, TAG ther squeezing profits, and extraordi- having plentiful alternatives at some half is still a good business to be in. tunities farther to the East and South? ically diverse in terms of where operators According to Bourgois, experience Permitted annual movements at built a new 43,000-sq-ft hangar adjacent nary opportunity presents itself in other dozen airports with almost two dozen Evidently, the path to new market oppor- are based and where they are flying to and investment in infrastructure make all Farnborough are cleared to grow from to its premises in Geneva and around the places. This background suggests that FBOs around the metropolitan area. Limited Opportunity Beyond Europe tunity still isn’t that smooth. and from. His overall perspective on mar- the difference and Landmark has dem- the 2012 limit of 37,000 to 50,000 in same time expanded its crew lounge as business aviation handling companies By contrast, in the huge and growing Cedric Migeon was managing direc- “The new markets are challenging,” ket conditions is positive in that he sees onstrated the value of this over the past 2019. TAG has reported a trend toward part of a 2,150-sq-ft rest area on the first would be retrenching in mature markets economies of China and India, the total tor of ExecuJet Aviation Europe until said Migeon. “FBOs are local businesses more FBO choice springing up around winter, a hard one that tested its de-icing a larger average size of the aircraft using floor, adjacent to two conference rooms. and 90 percent of the battle is won at a the world and robust competition serving capabilities. Its long-standing status as the airport and at last count had more The reception area has also been remod- Top Rated FBOs in Europe, Middle East, Asia and Africa local level. It is a difficult combination to keep down prices and keep up service an ExxonMobil fuel distributor has also than 60 based aircraft. Last year aircraft eled to establish a clearer separation of pleasing international clients by find- quality for his clients. been a plus. with an mtow of at least 50 metric tons between passenger and crew facilities.