According to Eurocontrol figures published last month, London Oxford Airport is one of a handful of UK business airports that have seen consistent growth over the last 10 years.
London Stansted, with its five Fixed Base Operators (FBO), was unveiled as the ‘most recovered’ airport with 35% growth over the last 10 years. But London Oxford followed closely behind with 32% growth overall.
The upturn in the number of large cabin business aircraft movements London Oxford saw last year has continued in the first few months of this year, while rotary activity will also increase further this year when the Children’s Air Ambulance moves to Oxford in May.
James Dillon-Godfray, head of business development at London Oxford, noted that growth at the airport has in part been due to slot constraints at other London-centric airports serving the business aviation community. Airports such as London Luton have become “increasingly squeezed for slots, to the benefit of airports like us,” he said.
“With night flights constrained at key peer airports we can still operate to midnight seven days a week,” Dillon-Godfray continued.
In response to the increased demand for more home-based and visiting business jets, London Oxford Airport is on the verge of completing a brand new 16,000 sq.ft hangar. The new facility will be Bombardier Global 7000 compatible and will also include office space.
There are also plans for a new Premier Inn hotel, which will be built at the entrance to the airport, to open next summer. The airport will cater for air crew, owners and pilots bringing aircraft in for maintenance, as well as for family and friends visiting air cadets at the resident pilot training schools, CAE Oxford Aviation Academy and Airways Aviation.
