This year’s Kentucky Derby came in as the second-highest attended in the race’s vaunted history, as more than 167,000 guests packed Churchill Downs on May 7 to witness pre-race favorite Nyquist take the 142nd Run for the Roses. For private aviation, the event was a record-setter, according to Atlantic Aviation, the lone FBO at Louisville International Airport-Standiford Field.

The Plano, Texas-based service provider handled 624 aircraft in the four days surrounding the “Fastest Two Minutes in Sports,” four more than last year, with 340 of them on the ground at the start of the race, surpassing last year's total of 243 present at post time. Aircraft, including a higher percentage of large jets than in past years, were parked along taxiways and freight ramps, while their crews enjoyed fried chicken, hamburgers and Derby Pie as they watched the race broadcast in Atlantic’s hospitality tents.

Jetex Flight Support has expanded its network in France with the May 11 opening of a new FBO at Marseille Provence Airport, one of the country’s busiest business aviation destinations.

The location, which offers FBO and ramp services, is open 24/7 and provides dedicated passenger and crew lounges, flight-planning area, concierge, round-the-clock customs clearance and one-hour prior notification for flights. “Being the second largest French city, with no prior permission required or other notable restrictions, Marseille is a top candidate to be our second FBO location in France,” said Loic La Joye, Jetex’s FBO network manager.

The location will be fully operational in time for France’s hosting of the UEFA European Championship soccer tournament this summer, added Julien Pedusseau, the facility’s manager. “This Jetex Marseille FBO will facilitate convenient access to UEFA games in Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Nice and Toulouse,” he said. In addition to access to the south of France, the site is near the Mediterranean playground of Monaco, 45 minutes away by helicopter.

Dubai-based Jetex (Booth N090) also has a facility at Paris Le Bourget. It noted that it will be further expanding its footprint in France in the near future.

UAS, the Dubai-based flight support company that is in the process of setting up offices worldwide, is making inroads in the Far East, the U.S., India and Africa, and is unveiling new software here at EBACE.

“The past 12 months have seen UAS build on its capabilities in the Asia Pacific and Greater China. It has also significantly increased its portfolio of clients at its Americas headquarters in Houston, and is coming closer to realizing its goal of placing a station manager in every country on the African continent,” Jay Ammar Husary, executive vice president, UAS (Booth E065), told AIN in an interview before EBACE.

A number of important strategic partnerships formed since August 2015 have seen it solidify its foothold in the Asia Pacific region. “Most recently, we have entered a strategic partnership with Aviation Concepts Group that sees us significantly boost service capabilities and offer clients more location options and higher quality in the Asia Pacific region,” said Husary.

He spoke of “tremendous growth” in that region in the previous nine months. “Our clients can access hangarage, technical support and other facilities at Pacific FBOs in Subic Bay, Manila, and Guam. Three strategic partnerships last year with FBOs and service providers T&T Aviation in Vietnam, IASS in Tokyo, and Bali FBO operator PT Sari Biomantara, saw us strengthen service levels to meet increasing client demands.”

Recently, UAS’s regional office in Beijing began operating 24/7 to cope with the rapid increase in demand for reliable trip support solutions in Greater China. Similarly, its regional office in New Delhi, India, has been increasing its market presence since establishment a year ago. UAS also has station offices in 13 African countries, with another two about to open.  

“There is no substitute for the professionalism of local and regional staff who not only have a thorough understanding of local regulations and business culture, but also awareness of international procedures and the support of our extensive global network,” Husary said.

“In Africa, we are steadily building the most extensive ground presence available on the continent. Just this month, we placed a new station manager in Congo, bringing the total to 13, and constant expansion is on our agenda for the remainder of 2016 and beyond.”

From an operational viewpoint, he said challenges existed to ensure compliance with CAA and regulatory bodies for every category of flight operator and purpose.

“Because rules on entry requirements and permit applications change regularly in many jurisdictions, it is our responsibility to ensure we are always aware of the latest requirements in every country worldwide and to remain ahead of the game in this respect,” added Husary.

Emergency situations like the recent Zika and Ebola epidemics, as well as terrorism threats, require operational knowledge and experience to plan around and work through. “We have a vast network of preferred vendors, allowing clients instant access to credit for services at airports they are visiting for the first time or do not operate to regularly. This is something that is vital to clients and a great opportunity for us to excel.”

Most of the current activity is in North America, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. “It is important that the world economy does not experience another serious downturn, [which] remains a possibility at this time,” said Husary.

Saudi Arabia had plans to open FBO facilities in Dammam, while several better-known FBO operators were seeking opportunities to purchase existing FBOs or invest in new facilities. Of late, this activity had also been seen in Europe, the U.S. and South Africa         

Flight Evolution Software

UAS is also introducing a new software tool here at EBACE. “UAS Flight Evolution is a cutting-edge technological development from UAS Evolution, the most comprehensive suite of online and mobile flight-planning tools available for business aviation. It is highly sophisticated, while being easy to use, convenient, and highly efficient,” said Husary.

“It provides a new standard of user experience. We worked with the highly acclaimed aviation application developer, ForeFlight, to design it. It has been designed by pilots for pilots, making it the most relevant and necessary addition to any airman’s toolkit. We’ll be demonstrating its capabilities and features at the UAS booth at EBACE 2016.”

DC Aviation Al Futtaim (DCAF, Booth S052) has launched plans to build a second hangar at its stand-alone facility at Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport. Also known as AMIA, the airport is commonly referred to by its IATA designation DWC; for Dubai World Central, – the massive new business and residential complex where AMIA is located. DCAF’s hangar project is in the late planning stage and design studies are nearly complete. “We are looking forward to breaking ground in the next two-to-three months, with completion at the end of Q1, or early Q2, 2017,” Holger Ostheimer, general manager, DC Aviation Al Futtaim, told AIN.

The new hangar will add 6,800 square meters (69,800 square feet) of covered space and bringing its total land-side plot area to 24,000 sq m (246,500 sq ft) and the apron area to 13,000 sq m (133,500 sq ft).   

DC Aviation set up the DCAF joint venture with UAE business conglomerate Al Futtaim in 2012, after managing one of its aircraft. Its partnership with the local group, which has interests ranging from real estate to retail, led to benefits some other players won’t enjoy, such as a stand-alone facility at the airport. Other FBOs are all centralized in their own segments of a common complex.

“We committed to DWC at a very early stage, in December 2010, when Omar Al Futtaim signed the land-lease deal with Sheikh Ahmed [bin Saeed Al Maktoum]. At that time, already we had formalized our plans to set up an operation at DWC,” Ostheimer said.

“Nobody in the industry [then] believed in the location, which was reflected in their hesitation in wanting to establish businesses out of a new airport.” Other major players in the global FBO market have seen their plans at DWC constrained by lack of space. [See separate story.]

DCAF continues to consolidate its position as first adopter for FBO and MRO business aviation services at DWC, and, with competing operations yet to enter full service, its head start is likely to continue to bring dividends for some time to come.

“We have now been in operation for two-and-half years, have multiplied our levels of activity, and have [attracted] a wide range of clientele that we [hope to] expand on,” Ostheimer said. “We are providing a boutique-style service, with maximum levels of convenience to the client at the highest levels of privacy.”

Aircraft Management Services

DCAF expects to add two new managed aircraft a year to the four it now has on its ledger: a Global Express, two Challengers and one Gulfstream G200. DCAF provides MRO services for the Challenger and the Global Express. Managing owners’ aircraft and making them available for charter service by third parties is the most common charter business arrangement in North America, and DCAF follows the same pattern. “The company does not own [its own] aircraft and will never do so,” he said.

Addressing the preference some customers have for the older international airport closer to downtown Dubai, Ostheimer said slots at Dubai International (DXB) are vanishing and more difficult to secure than ever. “If you are operating at peak times, and want to fly in at 11:00 p.m., the slot proposal will be 3:30 a.m. After renegotiation nearer the time, it might be closer to 12:30 a.m. or 1:00 a.m., still about two hours away from when the client originally wanted to arrive,” he said.

“At DWC, you decide you want to arrive at 11 p.m. and five minutes later, you have the confirmation.” The airport’s location, about an hours’ drive south of downtown Dubai, was not a critical issue, he added, since several clients hail from The Palm Jumeirah or Emirates Hills in South Dubai, much closer to DWC than to DXB.

As a general rule, he said, each business jet carries an average of 2.3 passengers, while the average flight departing from DWC is four hours. Popular destinations are Riyadh and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, India, and Europe, including London, Paris and Moscow.

“We [recently] had the most aircraft ever in the hangar; 10 aircraft. The busiest day in recent months saw 25 in total on the DCAF apron and inside the hangar,” he said. “Most of the time, it is the large aircraft, like the [Bombardier] Global Express, or [Gulfstream] G550, or G650. The biggest aircraft we have handled on the ramp was an [Airbus] A340.”

Corporate History

DC Aviation originated in 2007 from DaimlerChrysler Aviation, a subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler AG, which, itself, was the result of a merger between auto makers Daimler of Germany and Chrysler in the U.S. The original aviation unit was established in 1998 in Germany to provide an air-bridge between Stuttgart and Detroit, the respective bases of the two car manufacturing giants.

At its peak, DC Aviation owned all 11 of its aircraft between 2001 and 2006. Immediately after the dissolution of the Daimler-Chrysler merger in 2007, DC Aviation was put up for sale and private entity ATON GmbH took the entire stake.

In late 2007, DC Aviation started to provide aviation services to Al Futtaim. “From then on, Al Futtaim was exposed to DC Aviation’s service levels and very soon a common understanding arose to encourage both parties to consider a mutual cooperation in Dubai.”

Discussions continued, and with the improvement of market conditions at the end of 2010, both parties wanted to make the merger happen, spurring Al Futtaim to commit to a land-lease.

“At the end of 2010, the project finally started taking shape by way of drafting a joint venture agreement. At this stage, I came in to provide services as a consultant to bring the two joint venture partners together, to turn it essentially into a joint venture contract. That contract was closed in January 2012,” Ostheimer said. “There was never a thought of DC Aviation wanting to go it alone. This collaboration emerged from healthy and strong dynamics between two strong partners.”

Ostheimer believes the market at DWC has improved since DCAF opened in 2013. “Today, we look at a completely different environment. We have [our facility], the executive terminal has opened, the flight training academy is open, and its runway is under construction.”

He said it is a little early to say, but, “Expo 2020 is going to increase the level of exposure from which we stand to benefit,” he said. Looking to the future, he has a modest outlook, but believes the market will continue to provide aircraft management opportunities both vertically, with new aircraft entering into service, owned and operated by end users within the UAE or GCC, and horizontally, with owners wanting to seek new management solutions from one operator to another.

AIN asked Ostheimer whether a presence in Saudi Arabia was likely for DCAF. “It has been and continues to be interesting. As to when this would be likely to happen, there is no information I can provide at this stage,” he said. “What Riyadh and Jeddah both have is an exorbitant amount of aircraft in place. The market and the locations of those two airports both come with particular challenges, which make it a bit more complex to run an operation.”

 “The UAE will continue to provide for growth in marked contrast to the decline in other markets. In years to come, I am positive that the market will grow at a moderate level, or around 5 percent annually,” Ostheimer concluded.

Jetex Flight Support has expanded its network in France with the May 11 opening of a new FBO at Marseille Provence Airport, one of the country’s busiest business aviationdestinations.

The location, which offers FBO and ramp services, is open 24/7 and provides dedicated passenger and crew lounges, flight-planning area, concierge, round-the-clock customs clearance and one-hour prior notification for flights. “Being the second largest French city, with no prior permission required or other notable restrictions, Marseille is a top candidate to be our second FBO location in France,” said Loic La Joye, Jetex’s FBO networkmanager.

The facility will be fully operational in time for France’s hosting of the UEFA European Championship soccer tournament this summer, added Julien Pedusseau, the facility’s manager. “This Jetex Marseille FBO will facilitate convenient access to UEFA games in Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Nice and Toulouse,” he said. In addition to access to the south of France, the site isnear the Mediterranean playground of Monaco, 45 minutes away byhelicopter.

Dubai-based Jetex (Booth N090) also has a facility at Paris Le Bourget. It noted that it will be further expanding its business in France in the nearfuture.

On the eve of EBACE, the company announced it has secured a tender from the Moroccan National Airports Authority (ONDA) to establish five new FBOs, the first such facilities in the North African country and the company’s footprint in Africa. It has already begun private jet ground support at Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport, Marrakech Menara and Rabat-Salé, where Swissport was also chosen to provide handling services. At the seasonal destinations of Agadir-Al Massira, and Dakhla, Jetex was named as the exclusive ground services provider. At all five airports Jetex will have onsite customs service.

“By partnering with Jetex, ONDA marks a new strategic step in the development of business aviation activity across Morocco’s airports,” said Zouhair Mohammad El Aoufir, ONDA’s CEO. “Jetex is a global player in the industry and these new FBO installations will undeniably bring a significant improvement in hosting and handling passengers across business aviation.”

Construction on the western-style FBO is expected to begin by the end of the summer in Marrakech. “Marrakech is number one for business jet movement in Morocco,” said Jetex president and CEO Adel Mardini. “There’s around 4,000 movements per year, that’s why we have a plan to make a big investment in this airport.” Next to follow will be Rabat, Casablanca and the vacation destinations of Agadir and Dakleh which each see approximately 500 movements a year. “For us Morocco is very important, first of all because it’s a stable country, a destination for private jets and it has the highest number of flight movements in North Africa,” Mardini told AINahead of the show. “The vision of the Moroccan government is to make all these airports a destination for the general aviation business, and they want their economy to grow, and this is why they asked for an international brand such as Jetex to be in Morocco.”

The company, which is known for its trip support services, will also extend its ground handling network to Spain and Greece starting in June. In Spain it will operate at Barcelona, Malaga and Madrid, while in Greece, though it will be based in Athens, it will provide ground handling at all the country’s airports. “Both destinations are very important to our business,” said Mardini. “Many private jet owners fly to these destinations for business and vacations. He added the instability in some areas of the Middle East has caused some local owners to venture further afield. “These people have started flying to Europe more and more, Greece and Spain are one of the most common destinations for the people in our area, that’s why we chose both of them. In addition to the existing business, we believe that this will see huge growth in the future,” Mardini concluded.

Despite the recent dire news regarding Puerto Rico’s economy, the Caribbean island is still very much open for business. And come this fall it will be the site of a brand new $6 million FBO. The operators of Pazos FBO (Booth Z029), one of two service providers at San Juan’s Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport (LMM), chose to present their new facility here at EBACE to demonstrate their investment and commitment to the region.

The 12,500-square-foot (1,161-square-meter) terminal will more than double the size of the facility Pazos has occupied since it moved from Isla Grande Airport to LMM in 2002. It will feature an onsite full-service U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility, making it the only FBO in the Caribbean to offer such service, in-house. It will be available 24/7 with a one-hour notification, and will handle all general aviation operations at the airport, which was recently privatized. “This enhances the airport’s already strategic importance as the first U.S. port of entry southeast of the United States,” said Pazos president Jose Maldonado.

The glass-sheathed, two-story building will offer continuous views of the ramp and runway, and will include a luxury passenger lounge, concierge service, a pilot’s lounge with snooze rooms and shower facilities, a 15-seat a/v-equipped conference room, on-site limousine service, car rental and a canopy-covered aircraft arrival area.

After the opening of the new terminal, the company will break ground on a new 22,000-sq-ft (2,044-sq-m) hangar capable of sheltering aircraft up to a Boeing 737-800. The new structure will bring the facility’s hangar space up to 30,000 sq ft (2,787 sq m), and support its maintenance capabilities. Over the past year, as part of the construction project, the company added 150,000 sq ft (13,935 sq m) of ramp, for a total of 240,000 sq ft (22,297 sq m). “The expansion will further support the airport’s general aviation operation, already the busiest in the Caribbean,” noted Maldonado. Based on its capital improvements, the company recently negotiated a 20-year extension to its lease.

A member of the World Fuel Services’ Air Elite network since 2013, Pazos conducts all the fueling at the airport, with an annual flowage of approximately 7 million gallons, pumped from the airport’s newly installed fuel farm, which was supplied by World Fuel.

Gama Aviation’s growth path could see it expanding its footprint with newly acquired FBOs in multiple locations in a bid to boost the ground support side of a portfolio that is already strong in aircraft management and charter, as well as maintenance, repair and overhaul. The UK-based group has been diversifying for the past 16 or so years and took significant leaps forward when it expanded its capital base with private equity investors in 2008, and then again in early 2015 when it implemented a reverse takeover of Hangar8 plc.

“We believe we have a viable, proven business model that can deliver good yields and performance, all of which is predicated on providing a high-touch and high quality service level in a heavily-regulated industry,” said Gama CEO Marwan Khalek.

On April 21, Gama (Booth V045) reported strong financial performance in its first published results as a public company since it combined its business with Hangar8. For the year ending December 31, 2015, the UK-based group achieved revenues of $413.1 million (15.1 percent up on the previous year), gross profits of $62.4 million (27.6 percent up) and a gross profit margin of 15.1 percent (compared with 13.6 percent).

Commenting on the results, Khalek indicated that the group may be looking to make more acquisitions that may range from “small bolt–on acquisitions to larger and more transformational ones.” Earlier this year, Gama bought the Aviation Beauport FBO on the island of Jersey. The company also cited strong revenue and margin improvements from its U.S. operations, including the flights it operates for private aviation membership program Wheels Up.

It has also invested further in its new Glasgow base by opening a second hangar there earlier this year, and in April it signed a contract for a hangar facility in Nice, France, which is just over an hour’s drive from Geneva. “It’s an interesting bizav entry point, and movements can get intense there,” the company told AIN.

While consensus in the business aviation community seems to be that 2016 has made a shaky start in terms of trading conditions, Khalek is not unduly concerned. “We have been through several recessions and 2008 and 2009 [at the height of the last financial crisis] were our fastest growth period,” he told AIN. “Hangar8 made a lot of sense to us because it gave us a public platform and all we’ve done since then is to continue implementing our strategy of trying to grow organically and through more acquisitions. The business model is fundamentally robust and we’ve tried to eliminate risk elements in terms of asset exposure and costs.

Diverse activities also have been a key to stability in uncertain times. For instance, though very visible, charter only accounts for around 5 percent of Gama’s revenues. “We are spread across many geographical areas and profit centers, we have hedged,” said Khalek. “Europe continues to be a very challenging market as our business tracks GDP, which tracks [consumer] confidence. The sentiment is subdued and we have put out a cautious message about organic growth in Europe. But we are very bullish about the U.S. and we’re planting seeds in the Middle East and Far East that we will help us to hedge the risk [of decline in other markets].”

Gama’s role as operating partner to the Wheels Up private flight membership provider has generated significant activity. “Just over half of our U.S. fleet is involved and it represents about 35 to 40 percent of the [U.S. charter] revenue stream,” said Khalek. He also sees scope to boost Gama’s ground services business in the U.S., with line maintenance capability at seven or eight locations.

New lounges opening later this year in Czech Republic (Karlovy Vary), Croatia (Dubrovnik) and Ukraine (Kiev Boryspil) are the latest evidence of the strong commitment of Euro Jet Intercontinental to providing flight and group support across Eastern Europe. The Prague-based company also has new handling supervision licenses in Serbia and Ukraine—both of which are hard to get—and recently expanded its presence in Central Asia with new offices in Turkey and Pakistan.

The focus of the Euro Jet presence at the EBACE show (Booth J065) is a photographic display of the company’s 250-strong team of employees. The eight-year-old company is emphasizing the fact that its staff now support operations at more than 200 airports in 30 countries.

“We are the only company with a geographic span of Eastern Europe and central Asia with our own team on the ground,” said Gareth Danker, Euro Jet’s director of global sales and marketing, who claimed that rival trip support companies do not have their own staff in these regions.

Over the past five years, Euro Jet has achieved over 300 percent growth in the mount of traffic it supports. In its first year in business, it supported a couple of thousand flights and this has now risen to over 7,000.

A prime example of the experience levels among the Euro Jet team is Petr Pazurk, its country manager for Hungary. He was the first manager of the general aviation terminal at Budapest Airport, which is now one of the busiest gateways in a region where business aviation has only really be active for the past 20 years or so. Most Euro Jet staff have worked supporting business aviation in their locations for several years.

The expansion of private aviation in Eastern Europe and Central Asia has been because of a growth in business in this region as economies have continuously expended since most countries became independent in 1989 and throughout the 1990s,” Danker told AIN. “Some of the major industries include manufacturing, especially in the automobile industry, filming moves, tourism, especially in the Balkan countries of Croatia, Montenegro, and Bulgaria, and rich minerals, especially in Central Asia.” 

But, for the most part, the strong growth in the east of Europe and into Asia over the past two decades has yet to be matched by the development of suitable infrastructure for business aviation. “The biggest challenge in this part of the world is that in general there are no FBOs,” said Danker. “There are some exceptions like Prague [where Euro Jet is an FBO] or Riga [Latvia], where there are multiple FBOs. But for the most part, airports do not have the Western European or American style FBOs and passengers have to rely upon airport employees whose focus is not necessarily on customer service or even an expedited service. They also do not provide multiple services like transportation, catering, accommodation, and fueling. Nor do they give credit. Euro Jet recognizes this and we have worked to make ourselves a one-stop shop network that can solve all these problems with a single e-mail or phone call.” 

Gama Aviation has created new “Category Zero” handling rates to entice more light aircraft in the Gulf region to Sharjah International Airport in the UAE. The number of light jets is growing in the region, Gama Aviation said, noting the Middle East is home to 128 such aircraft, about 16 percent of the overall business jet fleet.

Sharjah can accommodate a range of visiting and based aircraft with varying hangar and parking options, the company said. “The introduction of our Category Zero class of aircraft ensures that smaller aircraft types have an appropriate charging mechanism, and we hope this move will enable a greater number of clients to take advantage of our services,” said Martin Ringrose, managing director for Gama Aviation Middle East.

Gama Aviation (Booth V045) is also vying for the additional traffic as it expands its operations at Sharjah. The company recently received formal approval for a new facility there. The location is designed to meet the needs of a business aviation fleet (across all categories) that is expected to grow by an average 7 percent a year between now and 2024.

Signature Flight Support (Booth C051) has signed an agreement with South Africa’s Lanseria Jet Centre, making the FBO the latest affiliate in the Signature Select program. That allows Lanseria, one of three service providers at Lanseria International Airport, to maintain its own name and ownership while participating in Signature’s worldwide network, which now numbers approximately 200 locations after the BBA Aviation subsidiary’s acquisition of rival Landmark Aviation in February.

Once the transition to a Signature Select location is complete, the location will offer a private passenger lounge with separate Wi-Fi-equipped meeting rooms, wine and refreshments, concierge, a dedicated crew lounge with private Wi-Fi, flight planning and weather services, secure car park and a private crew bus for airport transfers. Onsite line maintenance, aircraft detailing, water and lavatory services will also be available along with fuel coordination. The non-slot controlled airport, which serves the suburbs of Dainfern, Fourways and Sandton, is open 24/7 with onsite customs and immigration service.

“We couldn’t be more pleased to be part of the Signature network as a Signature Select location,” said Steve Anderson, CEO of the Johannesburg-area FBO. “Our decision to join as a Signature Select was driven by the unsurpassed value proposition, not only for our customers, but also the best practices in the industry that have made Signature Flight Support the world’s leading FBO network.”

“Signature’s presence in South Africa at Cape Town is now complemented by this agreement with Lanseria Jet Centre,” noted Mark Johnstone, managing director of BBA Aviation Flight Support for EMEA. “Johannesburg and Cape Town are the two largest aviation hubs in South Africa and this provides our customers with consistent, world-class flight support services.”

Sky Valet, the FBO and ground-handling network owned by Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur (Booth E035), has expanded its business with yesterday’s announcement that it has acquired Portuguese service provider Jetbase. The move gives Sky Valet FBOs at all the main Portuguese airports such as Lisbon, Porto, Faro, Cascais, and Beja, along with ground handling operations on the islands of Madeira, Azores and Cape Verde. It also includes handling businesses in Mozambique and Angola.

Combined, Jetbase sees approximately 4,000 movements a year. That together with the 58,000 operations typically logged by Sky Valet at its 18 locations including Paris Le Bourget, Cannes, Madrid and Barcelona, makes the company one of the largest service providers in Europe.

At all the new locations, Sky Valet will keep the staff intact, according to Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur director Michel Tohane. “Our strategy is simple, to create and build up a network,” he told AIN, adding the company only considers prime locations for general aviation. “As long as we can bring added value to the network, we will continue to grow. The sky’s the limit.”

German Aviation Service (GAS, Booth F065), the largest FBO and handling network in Germany with operations at 10 airports, has been recognized as a Universal Aviation certified ground handler. All locations in the GAS network will now officially adhere to the same ground handling safety, customer service and regulatory compliance standards as those facilities owned by Universal Aviation, Universal Weather and Aviation’s worldwide ground support business. “We are very happy about having been granted the status of a certified member of Universal Aviation,” said GASCEO and founder Andreas Becker.

FlyingGroup (Booth S095) and Lelystad Airport have signed a letter of intent to develop business aviation at the site near Amsterdam. Under the agreement, FlyingGroup will initially build a 32,000 sq ft hangar with accompanying offices. The goal is to have the hangar ready and offer FBO services in 2018. A second hangar (43,000 sq ft) could then be built by 2021.

In 2015, FlyingGroup incorporated Jet Management Europe BV into the company as a first step in strengthening its presence in the Netherlands, Bernard Van Milders, president and founder, reminded.

At Brussels Airport, FlyingGroup is to begin offering space in a new 43,000 sq ft hangar, able to accommodate bizliners.

The UK’s TAG Farnborough Airport is one of Europe’s most popular business aircraft destinations, and its FBO has garnered an impressive streak as the highest rated location in the Eastern Hemisphere, according to AIN’s readers, something CEO Brandon O’Reilly does not take for granted.

For 2015, he noted that the dedicated business aviation airport (Booth Y044) saw a 2 percent increase in operations year-over-year, with a disparate 6 percent rise in airliner-derived business aircraft such as the Boeing BBJ, Airbus ACJ and Embraer Lineage. That trend has continued through the first four months of the year. O’Reilly reported that London-area Farnborough has experienced a 1 percent increase in flights over the same period in 2015, yet the number of operations by 50-ton-or-greater aircraft, predominantly ACJs and BBJs has maintained its 6 percent increase. “That part of the market still seems to be holding up and developing,” said O’Reilly, who believes the introduction late last year of a bespoke, large-capacity VIP lounge on the FBO’s first floor could also be a contributing factor.

The company engaged heavily in promotion and marketing of the lounge, which can accommodate approximately 70 passengers, and it appears that investment has paid dividends. Likewise, the new discrete facility has garnered approval from the music groups, sports teams and government and diplomatic envoys that have used it.

Other recent improvements at the FBO include a gymnasium, an additional snooze room and another pilot work room, the result of customer feedback recorded on two iPads mounted in the FBO, expressly for that purpose.

Luxaviation Group subsidiary Execujet announced the opening of its first FBO in Mexico this week. The company claims the new facility, located at Monterrey Del Norte International Airport, offers the largest handling area at the airport’s general aviation terminal, as well as the largest hangar in northern Mexico at approximately 40,000 sq ft/3,700 sq m. The facility offers a meet-and-greet area, a passenger lounge, crew lounge and VIP service to and from the aircraft.

Execujet has operated in the country for many years and currently manages 13 aircraft, ranging from a Falcon 7X down to a Pilatus PC-12, with operations at Toluca International and Monterrey International Airports.

“Opening our Monterrey FBO is an exciting development for Execujet and as an extension to our existing office and hangar complex, we are delighted to now offer our customers full business aviation support in this part of the world,” said Adrian Zambrano, Execujet Mexico’s vice president. “We are expecting high demand for our management, maintenance and FBO services from Mexican, American and other international customers.”

To provide better handling for larger private aircraft, the Oklahoma City Airport Authority has allocated more ramp space to Legacy Aviation Services, the lone services provider at Clarence E. Page Municipal Airport (RCE). The addition doubles the FBO’s existing ramp to 40,000 sq ft and allows it to accommodate several midsize to large-cabin business jets. The addition comes after recent renovation of Legacy’s 2,500-sq-ft terminal, which included new flooring, furniture, refurbished bathrooms and the addition of Wi-Fi. RCE has a 6,000-foot main runway, and is less than 15 miles from downtown Oklahoma City.

Global aviation services provider Execujet has acquired its first FBO in the Caribbean, with today's announced purchase of the TLC Aviation facility at St. Maarten Princess Juliana International Airport. One of two FBOs at the popular vacation destination, the former TLC location handled 1,868 movements last year, ranging from light aircraft to widebody airliners.

“St. Maarten is the hub for the northeastern Caribbean region, with access to mainland U.S. and Europe,” said Mike Berry, president of Zurich-based Execujet’s aviation services, adding the area has long been on his company’s radar. “Princess Juliana International Airport serves as a key location for the neighboring islands and as such is ideally located to support the exclusive mega-yacht destinations of Anguilla, St. Barts and St. Kitts; the perfect complement to the private aviation market in the region.”

The FBO, the Luxaviation Group subsidiary’s 24th worldwide, offers ground handling, fueling, flight planning, charter and executive transport.

With the recent closing of the Rizon Jet FBO at London Biggin Hill Airport, Signature Flight Support announced on June 10 that it has signed an agreement with the airport authorities to expand its operations at the airport into the 140,000-sq-ft facility starting June 20.

Built in 2011 at a cost of approximately $48 million, the location features a hangar that can accommodate bizliners such as the ACJ and BBJ. The 20,000-sq-ft four-story FBO terminal has a boardroom offering video conferencing capabilities, several additional conference areas, a children’s area and a prayer room. The FBO also provides a dedicated crew briefing area with work stations and a quiet lounge area.

“We are pleased to be able to expand our operations at London Biggin Hill, especially in a facility of this caliber,” said Mark Johnstone, managing director of Signature parent BBA Aviation’s EMEA flight support division. “Having been present on the airport since February 2014 and now with this fantastic FBO, coupled with our world-class service, we are prouder than ever to welcome our customers from around the globe to Signature London Biggin Hill.”

Lanseria Jet Center has become the latest FBO to join the Signature Select program. The location, one of three service providers at Johannesburg-area Lanseria International Airport, will maintain its own name and ownership while participating in Signature’s worldwide network, which now numbers some 200 locations.

Once its current refurbishment is complete, the location will offer a private passenger lounge with separate Wi-Fi-equipped meeting rooms, wine and refreshments, concierge, a dedicated crew lounge with private Wi-Fi, flight planning and weather services, secure car park and a private crew bus for airport transfers. Onsite line maintenance, aircraft detailing, water and lavatory services and fuel coordination will also be available.

The non-slot-controlled airport is open 24/7 with on-site customs and immigration service.

APP Jet Center has broken ground on a major expansion and renovation of its San Francisco-area location at Hayward Executive Airport. Slated for completion by year-end, the $5 million project will see the construction of an additional 20,000-sq-ft hangar capable of sheltering the latest big business jets, along with a new 3,000-sq-ft passenger terminal. It will also include renovation of the facility’s existing 12,000-sq-ft hangar and office space to which the new structure will be attached. “Hangar space is in high demand at Hayward,” said Thom Harrow, CEO of parent company APP Properties. “We look forward to meeting that demand with this development and offering the best service and facilities to our clients.”