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Harrods Aviation sees a marked increase in large cabin movements

Harrods Aviation, the leading London-based FBO chain, has seen a sharp increase in large cabin movements.

Movements have risen over 20% in this category since 2013 and in the last 12 months, the company has handled over 250, B747 type aircraft including many visits from Heads of State.

"With this increase in large cabin movements has come some exciting challenges for us all at Harrods Aviation," commented Managing Director of Harrods Aviation, Paul Norton.

"Many of these large cabin aircraft are utilised by dignitaries, Heads of State and royal families. Our customer facing staff have learnt to adapt the way in which they work to meet the individual needs of these flights. Discretion, efficiency and professionalism being key attributes of our staff. There are of course challenges, such as finding space for a large number of onward transportation vehicles, but we are fortunate to have the space to handle numbers of vehicles and I am proud of the way in which our staff meet these more challenging tasks head on."

"Over the past few years we have worked hard to develop our abilities in handling large cabin aircraft," says Will Holroyd, Sales and Marketing Director for Harrods Aviation. "We class a large cabin aircraft as anything larger than a Gulfstream 650, an ACJ, BBJ, A340, B747 or similar. As the availability of slots and parking at London’s Heathrow Airport have seemingly dropped, these large aircraft have required a new base of operation. It is with great pride that we are now seeing our Stansted FBO as the clear preferred choice for these movements."

Kerry Besgrove, Operations Director for Harrods Aviation adds, "while maintaining and enhancing our world-renowned service for all aircraft types, it has been very rewarding to see our large cabin capabilities increase. We have invested heavily in ground service equipment, including covered steps, a mobile baggage screening unit, a new tug and other expensive, but essential items."

Besgrove comments further, "in addition to the equipment purchases, we have also invested in the training of our staff. In 2013 we received our ISAGO accreditation at both bases. This process guided us and supported us in what we already knew and were already practicing. To complement this we have also just been accredited with the new GA safety standard, ISBAH. Stansted is the perfect location for large aircraft handling. With a 10,000’ runway and significant ramp space we are perfectly set up to handle the demands of an aircraft more commonly associated with long haul commercial operations."

Harrods Aviation sees no likely decline in this sector of the industry, stating that requests are being discussed to meet the growing needs of this customer base, including the potential purchase of ground support equipment to offer support to the Airbus A380.

Bombardier Authorized Service Facility renewal

In further news, Harrods Aviation has announced the renewal of its Authorized Service Facility Agreement with Bombardier Business Aircraft.

Harrods is authorized to perform work on Challenger 300, 350, 605, 650 and Global aircraft, including interior cabin repair capabilities. This shared commitment acknowledges the excellent service and support that the company provides to Bombardier Business Aircraft customers at the 24/7 Harrods Aviation London Luton facility.

John Bool, Harrods Aviation Technical Director, comments, “the renewal of the Bombardier Business Aircraft Authorized Service Facility status is testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff in providing excellent customer service levels to Bombardier customers. We are very proud to have achieved this approval and look forward to welcoming existing and new customers."

BlueSky Business Aviation News | 27th October 2016 | Issue #389