London Oxford Airport retained its position in the top five UK business aviation airports during 2018 with some 5,500 business aviation movements logged and a 20% increase in passengers in the last year. Its OxfordJet facility – now into its 11th year, continues to handle more and more medium and large cabin jets – from as far afield as Tokyo.
There was a slight growth, 2% up in bigger business jets, compared with 2017, whilst light jets and mid-range types remained stable. Turboprops, in particular Pilatus PC-12 activity, expanded significantly – 34% over last year, mainly flying privately. The airport also started to see regular Pilatus PC-24 movements, from fractional ownership company JetFly. Leisure charters increased, in part due to the increasingly popularity of the neighbouring Cotswolds for weekend city dwellers; weddings and events at Soho Farmhouse in Great Tew, 14 miles away.
In a year dominated by the uncertainty of Brexit, the airport has benefitted from the arrival of new tenants, more based aircraft, including two Bombardier Globals (looked after by Excellence Aviation, now under Inflite The Jet Centre ownership) and existing businesses expanding their operations. For example, group purchasing organisation AVIAA, acquired a similar business in the UK, Convolus and complemented its UK Oxford office with a new base in Germany, headed by Managing Director Irena Deville.
“The number of independent MRO companies offering base and line maintenance with us has never been broader,” says James Dillon-Godfray, London Oxford Airport’s Head of Business Development. Volare Aviation recently added Gulfstream and Leonardo AW series to the number of models it supports. Brand new Cessna Citation and Dassault Falcon Jet MRO Jet Maintenance International (JMI) selected London Oxford Airport as its base this month, taking space in the airport’s brand new 18,000 sq ft hangar, which was completed early this year.
GlobeAir of Austria, the largest Cessna Citation Mustang charter operator, has established a Part 145 base and line maintenance business at Oxford to support its fleet in house. Patrick Marchant, former head of maintenance at Blink Air and EuroJet, leads the activity. Its Mustangs were previously supported by Gama Aviation at Oxford, which moved out last year. Globe Air has subsequently increased its Mustang fleet to 20, taking an additional four from WiJet of France. With nearly a third of its charters flying in or out of the UK now, including its prolific contribution as a Victor and Privatefly operator, Globe Air is able to offer competitive charter prices on its flights.
