Avfuel expands to two of Italy’s most prominent destinations - Rome Ciampino (LIRA) and Milan Linate (LIML) - as ARGOS VIP joins its branded network.

“The addition of ARGOS VIP as branded FBOs is a major opportunity for us to better serve international operators looking to fly within the Avfuel Network,” said Joel Hirst, Avfuel’s vice president of sales.

“These are two high-profile cities for international travelers headed to Italy for business or leisure; to expand our presence to these locations is beneficial for Avfuel, our business partners and our customers.”

“ARGOS VIP is the ultimate Italian GA flying solution,” continued Hirst. “In addition to its major presence and market share throughout the country, it has a reputation for the executive-level customer care that passengers and crews require. To be associated with its operation and serve its customers in Rome and Milan presents great opportunity.”

In addition to its Avfuel-branded locations in Rome Ciampino and Milan Linate, ARGOS VIP offers its executive services at 13 other airports (12 in Italy and one in Switzerland): Milan Malpensa (LIMC); Verona (LIPX); Venice (LIPZ); Pisa (LIRP); Naples (LIRN); Cagliari (LIEE); Catania (LICC); Olbia (LIEO); Treviso (LIPH); Albenga (LIMG); Lugano (LSZA); Salerno (LIRI); and Palermo (LICJ).

With the summer months quickly approaching, the ARGOS VIP team stands ready to provide guests with exceptional customer care as their first stop on an adventurous Italian getaway, where history, art, wine, fine-dining and fashion await in the world’s cultural epicenter.

'Service is King' says Avflight

The FBO marketplace continues to be more competitive than ever as companies look to bolster their operations with better amenities and better offerings.

This is particularly true in the European market where US-style FBOs are becoming more and more desirable. But in this land of luxury - where modern, sleek FBOs are more reminiscent of five-star hotel lobbies than airports - one thing remains clear: service is still king.

Avflight’s operation at George Best Belfast City Airport (EGAC) is a testament to this fact. The FBO operates out of a modest facility - updated, comfortable and accommodating, but modest. Nevertheless, Avflight Belfast continues to receive top marks in industry surveys. Why are pilots raving about this operation? They don’t land for the facility; they land for the people and the services they receive.

“We frequently hear positive feedback concerning our customer service,” said Ryan Hogg, Avflight Belfast City’s operations manager. “The customer is always our number-one priority. I truly believe it’s that level of attention and our team’s dedication to care that keeps Avflight Belfast at the top of the pack. Though we have a more modest setup than other FBOs, our facility is perfectly adequate for what we need and our underlying strength continues to come down to our staff members.”

Despite ranking number four, one and five in EBAN’s FBO Survey the past three years, respectively, the team at Avflight knows the danger of complacency and, instead, strives to use the survey as an opportunity to listen to customer feedback and adapt accordingly.

“We don’t rest on previous praise,” said Hogg. “We will always do what we can to be ahead of the game on service. And we want to make sure everything else we provide is raised to that same level, so we continuously adapt. The voting form is ideal because it scores specific areas of the FBO experience rather than just providing an overall evaluation. We’ve used that feedback to make changes to our facility and services over the years.”

And with such an emphasis on customer experience, Avflight management knows the importance of assembling the right team and proper, ongoing training.

“Our staff is the key to what we do,” said Hogg. “Everyone is hand-selected and has extensive industry training, which we pride ourselves in providing. In addition, our parent company, Avfuel, released the Avfuel Customer Service Training Program, so we now have an official training platform for Avflight FBOs, as do all Avfuel-branded FBOs who wish to utilize it. The training program is designed to foster customer retention - we’ve had a lot of positive feedback from this, including from my own team in Belfast who are undergoing recurrent training.”

It’s this drive for customer care that continues to set Avflight Belfast apart from its competitors and lands it at the top of the list among operations with grand facilities. But strip away the fineries and what’s left at the core is service: the ability to keep customers happy and safe while building loyal relationships. That’s one area on which Avflight will never compromise, because when service is king, you have to be the king of service.