Story ID: 
Harrods' terminal opens at London Luton
By: Charles Alcock
Caption: London-area FBO chain Harrods Aviation has opened its new 8,000-sq-ft facility at London’s Luton Airport.
Word Count: 237
London-area FBO chain Harrods Aviation has opened its new 8,000-sq-ft facility at London’s Luton Airport. The expanded premises, which immediately adjoin the company’s existing 2,000-sq-ft building, include a larger lounge, private VIP lounge, conference suite, flight-planning room and handling office. Crews now have their own lounge with Internet access. An enlarged 90,000-sq-ft ramp is immediately accessible from the building. Aircraft can push back directly onto the taxiway, which is adjacent to the runway. The FBO also now offers 55 car parking spaces and a covered drop-off area.Before 9/11, Harrods had drawn up plans for a much more extensive new business aviation terminal at Luton but shelved these after seeing a marked decline in traffic. According to sales and marketing director Alan George, the number of movements handled has increased by around 25 percent over the four months since the Iraq War officially ended. This followed a period of serious stagnation in activity during the build-up to the war and the military campaign. Until May, Harrods traded under the name Metro Business Aviation. The group also has FBOs at London Stansted and Heathrow Airports. Luton is located 30 miles north of central London.Separately, Harrods has formed an aircraft refurbishment partnership with MacCarthy Interiors. Cabin refurbishment is available at Harrods’ Luton and Stansted engineering centers. MacCarthy, which has a design and manufacturing facility at Redhill airfield south of London, will base experienced interiors specialists alongside the Harrods installation teams.