London Biggin Hill Airport (LBHA, Booth 1075) comes to Orlando full of enthusiasm as the fast-growing gateway to London outlines plans for even further development. With its new hangar close to capacity, it has another planned, along with a new training school and hotel for pilots and engineers. Its helicopter shuttle has proved very successful and it will be keen to tell NBAA-goers about how its partner airport at Teterboro, New Jersey, is doing with its heli-link to Manhattan (which started in June); making London-New York more seamless now than at any time since Concorde bowed out in 2003.
Robert Walters, business development manager for LBHA, said the Castle Air helicopters are operating “six to eight times a day” to Battersea Heliport. LBHA owner Regional Airport Ltd is keen to develop a heliport on the east side of the City of London but to date nothing has materialized—only a temporary heliport at the Excel Exhibition Centre adjacent to London City Airport when there are major events being held.
The cost of the Biggin-Battersea shuttle is £2,300 ($3,030) and it takes six minutes, while from London Oxford Airport it costs £2,400 but takes 21 minutes. Battersea Heliport and Oxford Airport are both owned by property tycoons the Reuben Brothers.
“Biggin Hill and Farnborough” are reaping the benefits of business aviation being squeezed out of Luton and other airports by scheduled airline traffic, Walters told AIN. He noted that Farnborough “competes at some levels, but is a very different airport. People have all sorts of reasons for choosing an airport, such as allegiance to an FBO chain.”
It was partly that London saw this “capacity crunch” coming that meant Biggin Hill received support to extend its opening hours on May 1, 2017. Walters explained how the hours extension prompted Bombardier to come to Biggin Hill, with further traffic growth following as U.S. operators woke up to the possibilities. “The next step will be the GPS approach on Runway 03,” said marketing manager Andy Patsalides. At present only Runway 21 has an ILS, which can cause operation restrictions if the wind favors 03.
LBHA is getting busier, but it is not yet anywhere near its movements limit now that ab initio pattern work by the three training schools on site has been stopped. Such flights go elsewhere for "circuits," but in the meantime, Biggin Hill in mid-September announced it was looking for a partner to develop a new Light Aviation Centre at the airport.
Walters explained that the airport's dated tower and terminal building are set to be replaced with a modern building with new tower structure on top. Plans have not been finalized by the architects yet.
Much of the local support for the airport, echoed by the Mayor of London (as it is in the London Borough of Bromley), has been down to the promise of new jobs. With the likes of Signature and Bombardier leading the way, Patsalides said around 1,000 jobs have been created. With the new establishment, London Aerospace and Technology College now has its first students and aims to attract 100 in the first year. “Eventually we’ll have 300 to 400 people at the college at any one time,” said Walters. It was possible thanks to £12 million in investment, £6.5 million of which is coming from the Mayor of London.
With next year being the 60th anniversary of the closing of Croydon Airport, when commercial operations started at Biggin Hill after its wartime prowess, Walters said he is planning celebrations. Patsalides noted that investment toward expanding LBHA operations wouldn’t slow down “and we’re looking forward to getting more intercontinental traffic.” He added: “We’re committed to having no scheduled flights.” Walters noted, “People approach us all the time about scheduled flights.” A 2001 Court of Appeal ruling prevents ticketed flights.