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London Oxford Airport: Bucking the trend

Sept. 29, 2009, London, UK - Newly rebranded London Oxford Airport, UK, is bucking the trend in business aviation activity with a year on year increase of 9 per cent in private aviation movements.


September 29, 2009  By Carey Fredericks

Sept. 29, 2009, London, UK – Newly rebranded London Oxford Airport, UK, is bucking the trend in business aviation activity with a year on year increase of 9 per cent in private aviation movements.   The airport has also seen a significant increase in fuel sales with the highest monthly uplift levels to date seen in August and September.  In August this year, the airport switched its supplier to Gulf Aviation (for both Avgas and Avtur).
 
“The green shoots we are seeing are largely as a result of more private/owner flying,” said Steve Jones, Managing Director, addressing the VLJ Europe 09 conference today, but when the charter market upturn comes, and we are seeing signs here that it is, Oxford is going to be extremely well placed with a whole range of aircraft now based at the airport and these include a growing number of entry level jets.”
 
LEA recently based a Cessna Citation Mustang at the airport to complement its new managed VIP 14-seat Embraer Legacy 600 and in mid to late October the airport will welcome its first Embraer Phenom 100s, operated by Flairjet – the first UK ‘G’ registered aircraft, (G-DRBN and G-SRBN).  FlairJet, which is backed by three London-based QCs, is managing these two entry level jets from a third party, prior to the arrival of their first purchased aircraft in 2012.
 
Icejet expansion at London Oxford
 
Icejet, which has both a 14-seat and 19-seat Dornier 328 jet based at the airport, is also expanding its presence in the UK at London Oxford, taking both office space and hangarage where it plans to carry out line maintenance on the Dornier 328.
 
On the radar as a London catchment airport
 
Oxford Airport is increasingly being recognised as an attractive airport for London, said Jones, as evidenced by the increasing number of overseas registered aircraft flying in.  The airport is now averaging about 15 business aviation movements per day, compared with 10 a day last year.  This rebranding was completed in August in a bid to encourage more international business jet operators to appreciate the convenience, and comparative low cost of the airport (compared with London Luton and Farnborough Airports).  The airport is increasing in popularity too, notes Jones, because of its attractive opening times – 06:30 to 22:30 every day – with the flexibility to extend to midnight, plus its recent investment in Cat 6 Fire & Rescue capabilities.  The enhanced RFFS cover has enabled the airport to accept bigger business aviation aircraft and 90-110 seat regional airliners.
 
Ideally situated within close proximity of the M40, A34, A40 and A44 road networks, Oxford also benefits from being just outside the congested London TMA (terminal movement area).   As a quiet, easy-access and unconstrained choice, Oxford is just an hour’s drive from London’s west end.
 

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