London Oxford Airport (EGTK) has embarked on a major infrastructure development project, the centerpiece of which will be the airport's 15th hangar. When completed in the third quarter, the 6,000-sq-mt (63,000-sq-ft) structure will include two bays with offices and workshops and will be capable of sheltering up to six large-cabin business jets.
The new facility will be used predominantly by the airport’s established tenants, many of which are currently occupying WWII-era hangars, as well as for space to store larger business jets, which has been limited at EGTK. Those eight-decade-old hangars will be progressively replaced with new ones based on customer demand, according to the airport, which is home to several MRO operations. To further support their activities, London Oxford has bolstered its electrical grid, allowing “significantly more power onto the site.”
While the airport has also expanded its ramp to make room for more aircraft parking, it also recently added seven new ICAO/EASA/CAA-compliant helipads, which will serve tenants such as Airbus Helicopters (whose UK headquarters is on the field) and other rotorcraft operators, as well as complement operations at the co-owned Edmiston London Heliport, the capitol’s only CAA-licensed heliport.
In addition, a new fuel farm will quadruple the storage capacity of the original facility while also providing future storage space for sustainable aviation fuel. A centrally located fire station is under construction as well.
“In a new post-pandemic economic environment, it’s crucial that the UK ramps up its capacity to provide growth and further employment, especially in high value, high-skilled and knowledge-based industrial sectors,” said Will Curtis, the airport’s managing director, adding that the timing of the development is crucial as business aviation and aerospace are set to rebound. “Now that we have put in the infrastructure for growth, we can build further facilities with relative ease and speed and further bolster employment opportunities.”