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Choosing your airport

When I talk to our business aviation customers about what they look for when choosing an airport, two themes come through loud and clear - convenience and efficiency. These are not only essential elements to business travellers, they are also key factors for Air BP when considering new airports to add to our network.

According to a report from the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) by Booz Allen Hamilton and German Aerospace research centre, DLR, business aviation users generate an average of 2 hours 33 extra minutes of productive work time by taking a private flight rather than a commercial one.

The basic premise of business aviation is that it provides users with the flexibility to travel where they want and when they want. And as the start and end points of most flights, airports play an integral role in this overall journey.

Across the board, airports of all sizes are seeing significant growth in business and general aviation departures. Data from aviation analysts, WINGX, shows that the number of European airports with over 1,000 business aviation departures per year has increased by almost 10 percent over the last five years. London Stansted, London Biggin Hill, Helsinki Vantaa and Ibiza (all of which are in Air BP´s network) have recorded the largest growth. It’s a similar success story for business aviation in the US. According to PrivateFly, overall business aviation flight activity was up 3.9% in 2017. And in Russia business aircraft traffic climbed 2.5 percent year-on-year in 2017, according to the Russian United Business Aviation Association.

However, with commercial aviation also on the rise - IATA is reporting that airlines carried 4.1 billion passengers on scheduled services in 2017, a figure which is expected to increase to just over 4.3 billion in 2018 and to more than 4.5 billion in 2019 - business aviation slots at bigger hubs are continually being squeezed. Even at London Heathrow, where a third runway has been approved by UK Members of Parliament, capacity is still a concern. Subsequently smaller general aviation airports are becoming an increasingly attractive proposition for business travellers.

With an extensive fuelling network covering around 900 locations in more than 50 countries, at Air BP we are fully aware of how refuelling is an essential component of the time-saving equation. Dedicated business aviation refuelling teams offering quick turnarounds and a highly efficient service are available at one in five of our locations. And many of the smaller airport locations we work with, are investing in new, or additional, capacity.

Take airports such as Cannes Mandelieu in France, Casarrubios del Monte in Spain and Reichelsheim in Germany. All three are dedicated general and business aviation hubs and have invested in self-serve, as well as operator fuelled facilities enabling passengers to refuel quickly, safely and efficiently. Similarly, we’ve invested in new jet fuel tanks and a self-serve facility at Busselton Airport in Australia and at Salvador de Bahia in Brazil, our joint venture partner has invested in new fuelling infrastructure and training facilities.

Ensuring our global network of aviation fuel locations provide easy access to major cities and business hubs is key to our model. It’s also critical that we factor in the need to offer alternative airports to those hubs that operate restricted hours for business aviation traffic. For example, we currently offer fuel for our business aviation customers at nine airports around London. Airports such as London Biggin Hill and Harrods Aviation FBO at Cranfield Airport in Bedfordshire offer excellent facilities and are great alternatives to the major London hubs. London Oxford offers another suitable alternative for those flying in to the UK capital. It’s 85 minutes from the centre of London, offers flexible opening hours, no slot restrictions, no preadvisal and a swift 22-minute connection by helicopter into the city.

Another factor that customers take into consideration when choosing which airport to fly from is pricing and the ease with which fuel can be purchased. It’s no secret that fuel prices vary by location, with larger airports often benefitting from economies of scale. However, landing, handling and aircraft parking fees also vary widely so there are various elements to take into consideration. One user friendly solution we offer to our customers is RocketRoute MarketPlace app, launched in 2017, which tackles all of these different elements. It offers customers a quick and easy solution when arranging flights, by enabling them to find out more details on the location (such as the availability of dedicated general aviation fuelling teams), check pricing, order, and choose whether the payment will be on their account or by credit card. This is available at any of our locations worldwide, all via an app. Saving time and money, it also enables pilots and aircraft operators to arrange handling, transportation, catering, permits and other services.

With all of these different elements at play, it’s clear that there is no one-size-fits-all model when it comes to choosing which airport to fly to or from. However, when it comes to business aviation, time and convenience are still very much of the essence, with safe and efficient fuelling playing an integral role.

About the Author

Irene Lores is Air BP’s global marketing director for general aviation based in Madrid, Spain. She has over 17 years of experience in the fuel industry, working at BP since 2000 and Air BP since 2012. Her previous positions include general manager, Air BP West Mediterranean and supply manager, BP Gas España. Prior to joining BP, Irene worked for several years in the financial markets with international positions in Societé General Group and Natwest Bank.

Since taking up her role as global marketing director for general aviation last year, she has among other things coordinated the launch of the successful RocketRoute MarketPlace app, Air BP’s collaboration with Red Bull Air Race and announced a strategic partnership with Victor, one of the world’s leading on demand jet charter marketplaces.

Irene is a Spanish national. she holds a degree in Economics and Business Management from Madrid Autonoma University. She is passionate about aviation as well as her family and is a leading member of the BP Women International Network in Spain.