London Oxford Airport, ranked the
fifth busiest UK business airport in the UK and amongst the top 20 in Europe, is
among a handful of UK business airports that have seen consistent growth post
the financial crash of 2007.
According to Eurocontrol figures
published last month, London Stansted (with its five FBOs) leads the ‘most
recovered’ with a 35% 10-year growth. But London Oxford is a close second with
an overall 32% growth.
London Luton Airport
retains its crown as the number one airport for business aviation movements, but
it and a few other London-centric airports have become “increasingly squeezed
for slots, to the benefit of airports like us,” said
James Dillon-Godfray,
Head of Business Development, speaking at London Oxford Airport’s pre-EBACE 2018
media briefing last week. "With night flights constrained at key peer airports
we can still operate to midnight seven days a week."
The uptick in the number of large
cabin business aircraft movements it saw last year continues, while the 20%
increase in helicopters handled in 2017 shows no sign of reducing. Rotary
activity will increase further when the Children’s Air Ambulance moves to Oxford
in May. In fact, far from suffering from the ‘Brexit effect’, the UK has been
experiencing a 5% increase UK wide since the beginning of the year, according to
WINGX data analysis.
More hangar facilities
London Oxford Airport is
responding to upped demand for more home-based and visiting business jets with
the imminent completion of a brand new 16,000 sq.ft.-sized hangar (Bombardier
Global 7000 compatible, plus offices.) The hangar doors go on this week and
space is already being allocated. “With the continuing demand for hangarage we
are working on plans for the next major expansion to the north of the current
site fulfilling the need for aircraft residency (there are some 25 business jets
residing at the airport) and on-site MRO capability is provided by Gama
Aviation, Excellence Aviation, Volare Aviation, P3 Engineering, A2B Aero, Airbus
Helicopters and CAE OAA.
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New hangar taking shape
at London Oxford Airport. |
Premier Inn opening on the airport site
next summer
Further infrastructure
enhancements confirmed early this year include a brand new 101-room Premier Inn
hotel which will be built at the entrance to the airport, catering for air crew;
owners and pilots bringing aircraft in for maintenance and friends and families
visiting air cadets at resident pilot training schools CAE Oxford Aviation
Academy and Airways Aviation. The hotel is scheduled to open summer next year.
On the operational front, London
Oxford Airport has been working closely with the UK Civil Aviation Authority on
the Airspace Change Proposal consultation, which concluded last week. It is
being proposed that GNSS RNAV LPV200 precision approaches are introduced at both
ends of runway for maximum access, ideally with the establishment of additional
approach lights on RWY 01 - affording a major improvement in poor weather
capability.
IS-BAH Stage II award accreditation
London Oxford Airport, which was
awarded IS-BAH Stage II approval from ICAO earlier this year (only the second
airport in the UK to be endorsed with such a high standard and ahead of a single
FBO in the USA) continues to offer the London region the most attractive
packages for business jet and helicopter interlining. It offers a 50% discount
for customers using both London Oxford Airport and the London Heliport, under
its shared ownership.
Another notable trend in 2017 was
fuel sales. London Oxford Airport together with fuel provider Air BP sold close
to 4.5 million litres, primarily to aircraft over eight tonnes.
London Oxford Airport is
participating at EBACE with its fuel provider Air BP. Stand B29.
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