London City Airport Jet Centre plans to add a second aircraft to its fledgling charter operation and says it may brand the charter business as demand continues to grow.
London City Airport took delivery of a Dassault Falcon 900EX in July 2002, becoming the only international airport to own and operate aircraft commercially. Jet Centre manager Darren Grover says the privately owned company has yet to decide what size of aircraft would best suit its needs, but it is unlikely to be a Cessna Citation Excel or Bravo, as operated by London Executive Aviation (LEA), which has a base at the airport. "Our operations are complementary," he says.
London City is also mulling over the second phase of Jet Centre's expansion as demand for the facility continues to rise from operators of aircraft now approved for the airport's 5.5¡ steep approach, including the Excel, Bravo and Embraer Legacy.
"We have approved 80 operators in the last 12 months," Grover says, and with Bombardier Learjet 45, Challenger 604 and Raytheon Hawker 800XP approvals imminent, pressure to increase the terminal size and parking area will mount. Jet Centre is also keen to accommodate corporate charters, but Grover says: "We do not want to compromise our core [VIP] business, so we will have to expand the facility to accommodate the higher volumes of passengers associated with these operations."
Source: Flight International
