London FBO Celebrates Successful First Year

A year after it began FBO operations at London’s Southend Airport, Stobart Jet Centre is reporting an eventful year. In January, Stobart Group, which owns the airport, unveiled its brand-new FBO facility, which includes a 12,000-sq-ft (1,115-sq-m) terminal with an A/V-equipped conference room, a pilots' lounge with two snooze rooms, and a fully equipped Border Force screening area for on-demand customs and immigration clearance. Stephen Grimes, the facility’s managing director, told AIN that customers appreciate the proximity of their aircraft at the FBO. “The guests can see their jet just outside the window and just walk on to it,” he noted. “Other London airports are obviously more congested than we are, and very often you will have to get on a minibus and go out to a remote parking stand to get on your aircraft.”

In terms of aircraft storage, the facility has a 65,000-sq-ft (6,040-sq-m) hangar that can shelter four BBJs simultaneously, while its ramp can accommodate another dozen bizliners.

Though the London area certainly has many airport options for business aviation, this summer, Southend will be available for 24/7 jet movements, as both Luton and Stansted, which are normally available to handle such flights, face mandatory night closures through the end of September due to noise restrictions. To prepare for that, the Stobart FBO will be moving to overnight operations starting June 1 and will ramp up its staff of 16, accordingly.

As it prepared to exhibit at its second EBACE show, Stobart Jet Centre (Booth O96), said it has positioned itself as a cost-effective and efficient option for private aircraft operators heading into the capital. Grimes, a 20-year veteran of the London business aviation market, noted the potential savings compared with other airports. “To give you an example, at Luton, the current price is £7,000 [$9,460] to park a BBJ for 24 hours. You go to Stansted, for 24 hours it's £2,000 [$2,700]. You come to Southend, for a BBJ for 24 hours it's £900 [$1,215].”

As for transportation to Central London, Grimes said the one-hour by car trip is comparable to other competing airports such as Farnborough, Luton, and Stansted. Southend also has a direct rail link less than five minutes from the FBO, which can deliver customers to the capital in 45 minutes. “I always thought that bizjet users aren’t going to want to know that,” said Grimes, “but I never cease to be amazed that we’ve got beautiful Falcons coming in and the passengers get off, and we give them a lift to the railway station. They go into Central London by train because it's an efficient use of time.” For those instances where time is of the essence, a sister company to the FBO can provide helicopter transfers anywhere in England, using a Leonardo AW109 Grand.

Grimes also touted the company-owned hotel, located just steps from the FBO, which has proven popular among flight crews.

“We are delighted to be exhibiting at EBACE again after a highly successful launch since we announced our intentions at last year’s show," said Grimes, adding the location is on schedule to double its aircraft movements in 2018. “Performance has exceeded our expectations, and we are well on the way to meeting our target of 10,000 movements per year by 2022, if not sooner.”

While the company’s first facility has gotten off to a good start, in its eyes, this is just a beginning, as Stobart has strong chain aspirations. “We’re initially looking at five or six locations which could be start-up or acquisition,” said Grimes, citing cities such as Manchester, Birmingham, Paris, and Nice as potential examples. “Locations that have sufficient activity levels to justify. We wouldn’t just put a flag in the ground, but it could be anywhere in Western Europe.”