London Oxford Airport finished 2016 as the
sixth busiest London airport for business and general aviation - ahead of London
City Airport - and entered 2017 as the 16th busiest in Europe - in front of
London Stansted and Northolt - according to the latest data from WINGX and
Eurocontrol.
Significantly, the airport is regularly seeing
larger business jets (over 40 tonnes), such as the Bombardier Global and
Gulfstream G650, using its facilities. Its Oxfordjet FBO has seen an increase of
37% in such sized jets for the year-to-date (April) and a 46% increase over the
last two years.
Overall, London Oxford’s jet movements were up
6.4% for 2016, with the airport handling a total of 5,629 business aviation
movements (this figure accounts for turboprops and jets alone and excludes
piston-engined twin aircraft used as air taxis). Recreational general aviation
movements decreased by 4%, but helicopter movements were up 25% for the year to
over 6,000. Airbus Helicopters, whose UK home is at the airport, accounted for
nearly a thousand more movements on top of this figure.
London Oxford Airport is currently home to
some 65-based aircraft. It has seen the amount of AOC activity grow 19.8%
year-on-year and is now well placed, with its attractive cost base and
infrastructure, to support the expected crop of new entrants looking to take
advantage of the new EASA rule endorsing CAT SETops (Single Engine Turboprops in
commercial operations IFR). The airport is already looking after a new Pilatus
PC-12NG for a private owner and soon hopes to see UK operators place the likes
of Caravans and PC-XIIs onto AOCs, both on charter and, in some cases, scheduled
service provision.
The airport is responding to demand for more
hangar space by building a new 15,250 Sq. ft. single, stand-alone bay with 1,850
Sq. Ft. of adjacent offices external to the hangar (landside), plus 30 car
parking spaces. Located at the end of Hangar No. 14, the newest development is
scheduled to be available by year-end. “The new building, both prominent and
visible from the A44 (which sees 11 million vehicles passing by each year), is
compatible with Bombardier Global 7000-sized aircraft, but could typically
handle four Challenger-sized aircraft,” suggested London Oxford Airport’s Head
of Business Development, James
Dillon-Godfray.
Last autumn,
Piper Aircraft
established an office at London Oxford Airport
for its UK representative. The OEM’s all new six-seater M600 Single Engined
Turboprop, with Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A engines and Garmin avionics, is due
to arrive at the airport for demos in late May as part of its 90-day European
tour after showing at EBACE.
Alongside Piper, the airport has also welcomed
new tenants since the beginning of the year:
hullo Aircrew,
the new pilot app company; Travion,
a flight management company; HeliGroup,
which will offer PPL training and Cabri G2 sales; and
Cirrus Flight Training.
In total, London Oxford Airport and its 25 plus tenants account for well over
1,500 direct and indirect jobs in the UK, with the arrival of the aforementioned
new tenants due to add even more.
London Oxford Airport is one of the primary
London region options for the business aviation community. Coupled with the
jointly owned and operated London Heliport at Battersea, it offers a unique
package to clients using both fixed and rotary wing aircraft.
Its standard opening hours are 06:30 to 22:30
seven days a week, but it offers easy extensions from 06:00 to midnight.
Visitors can also enjoy the airport's award-winning VIP FBO terminal, OxfordJet,
which is one of very few IS-BAH (International Standard for Business Aircraft
Handling) accredited FBOs in Europe. London Oxford Airport has a Rockwell
Collins ARINCDirect data link ground station installed, accepts multiple fuel
and services payment cards and offers exceptionally quick turn-times as a full
EASA-certificated airport.
London Oxford Airport will be on the Air BP
stand (C88) at EBACE in Geneva - May 22nd to 24th 2017.
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