TAG Aviation expects to reach its 28,000 annual movement quota at Farnborough airport by the end of 2005 as it strives to turn its southern England-based facility into Europe's busiest corporate airport.
"We have experienced a steady increase in movements over the last couple of years," says TAG Aviation commercial director Len Rayment. "Although growth has slowed in recent months, we expect to record at least 17,000 movements this year, up from around 5,000 the year before."
Aircraft weighing between 50,000kg (110,230lb) and 80,000kg, which includes Boeing Business Jets, are restricted to 1,500 movements a year.
TAG has invested undisclosed substantial sums in airport development, including the construction of a new air traffic control tower and an 11,000m2 (118,500ft2) hangar, as well as reprofiling and resurfacing the runway to meet UK Civil Aviation Authority standards and installing a Category I instrument landing system. "Our success will be judged on the standard and diversity of services we provide," says Rayment. "We have already leased 60% of the hangar space and in the next few weeks we will announce a based maintenance operator."
TAG is also building a three-storey, 4,650m2 executive terminal next to the hangar complex, set for completion by the fourth quarter of next year. It plans to build two more hangar complexes of the same size as the new structure, which can simultaneously house about six airline-class business jets, such as BBJs or Airbus A319 Corporate Jetliners.
Source: Flight International
