Story ID: 495jetAvGeneva.doc
Jet Aviation’s Geneva Expansion Complete
By: Gregory Polek
Caption: 
Word Count: 330
The newly refurbished Jet Aviation FBO in Geneva now encompasses 660 sq m (7,100 sq ft) and features three new lounges, giving crewmembers and passengers nearly twice the room to relax or do business.

The first tangible result of a global refurbishment and rebranding program announced last year, the facility now comprises two floors, the second of which Jet Aviation took over from TAG Aviation. A new stairway connects the ground floor with the upper level, consisting mainly of a large crew area featuring a lounge, a meeting room, a resting room and an operations center. Adjacent to the crew area, on the opposite side of the new stairway, Jet Aviation has built a meeting room for passengers, equipped with a large-screen video projector.

The FBO handles some 9,000 movements a year, mostly involving large-cabin aircraft, explained Jet Aviation Geneva director Bernard Ratsira. Jet Aviation handles Bombardier Globals, all Gulfstream types, Boeing BBJs, 757s, 767s, 777s and 747-400s, as well as Airbus A340s.

Movements, while substantial, have remained steady over the years, said Ratsira, thanks to the ever-increasing amount of commercial traffic at Geneva. Construction at the airport aimed at helping to alleviate the congestion problem is, for now, causing some disruption, said the FBO director. Meanwhile, parking–while very cheap by European standards at four Swiss Francs per ton per 24 hours–is also very limited, meaning more operators need to reposition their airplanes for overnight stops in Lyon, France, for example.

The expansion plans didn’t stem from any particular need to accommodate more traffic through the FBO, but rather a more comfortable environment and an effort to present a more modern atmosphere to accompany the branding exercise.

Next, Jet Aviation plans to extend the program to Zurich, where construction has already begun and schedules call for completion of that refurbishment on August 1. The company hopes to finish upgrade work on all its FBOs by some time in 2015.