Story ID: 716_LeBourgetFBOs.doc
Le Bourget FBOs Invest Despite Slow Recovery
By: Guillaume Lecompte-Boinet
Caption: Investment levels among Paris Le Bourget’s competitive FBOs remains high.
Word Count: 1407
Recovery has not yet truly arrived, but around Paris Le Bourget Airport, people are feeling its first signs. Europe’s most active bizav airport saw nearly 26,000 departures last year and more than 14 million gallons in fuel uplifted, according to global industry data provider WingX Advance. That’s probably why FBOs at the Paris business aviation hub are still investing. For example, Jetex Flight Support plans to open a new hangar for based aircraft. Advanced Air Support has once again enhanced its facilities, and Dassault Falcon Services intends to increase the footprint of its FBO at Le Bourget. Brazil’s Embraer Executive Jets–at long last–submitted a construction application last October for a new Maintenance Repair and Overall (MRO) facility scheduled to enter service in Summer 2016. The airframer could break ground on this project in June, perhaps during the Paris Air Show.

Last year was challenging, despite the fact that Le Bourget Airport remains the premier business aviation platform in Europe with 54,400 total movements (a slight increase from 2013). “We saw a slight growth; only during the last months of 2014,” confirmed François Charritat, managing director of Le Bourget Airport for Aéroports de Paris (ADP). The statistics fall in line with a general trend in Europe that, according to reports from the European Business Aviation Association, saw an overall 0.7 percent increase in total movements in 2014.

One of the main complaints among the FBOs is that there are too many of them on the airport. The number of facilities is “too huge for this platform,” said Denis Bourgois, managing director of the Landmark Aviation Le Bourget FBO. And another is probably on the way, though this hasn’t been confirmed by ADP. On the bright side, an increase in new bizjet orders could lead to more traffic in the future.

FBO Action Rundown:

Advanced Air Support, a Jet Services subsidiary, plans to open a new 130,000-sq-ft (12,000-sq-m) FBO just in front of the AC Marriott hotel, which opened February 2. This 122-room four-star hotel is also part of the Jet Services Group. Contacted by AIN, Advanced Air Support, which is partnered with ExecuJet, declined to offer details on its plans, but a building license has been submitted to the French authorities. The FBO, scheduled to open in two years, would be dedicated to large bizjets, notably Airbus’s ACJ and Boeing’s BBJ bizliners. Advanced Air Support will have one of the biggest facilities on Le Bourget, including the new 71,040-sq-ft hangar, which opened in February, and its 388,000 sq ft (36,000 sq m) of outside parking, five VIP lounges and five private bedrooms for passengers and crews.

Dassault Falcon Services (DFS), which handles approximately 6,000 movements per year at Le Bourget, has several projects on tap for this calendar year. The Dassault Aviation subsidiary will entirely refurbish the FBO’s crew space, with new facilities, meeting rooms, showers and lavatories. Then, in a second phase, DFS will expand the FBO footprint with new hangar and parking space. “The precise surface and location has not been decided yet,” said Bertrand d’Ivoire, director of the FBO.

Last September, DFS added a new access point and client parking area at Le Bourget. Of course, “clients can take advantage of our maintenance and support facilities as well as the FBO,” added d’Ivoire. Regarding customer support, Dassault recently launched a new airborne support program, including two Falcon 900s dedicated to transporting teams and spare parts anywhere in the world. DFS also opened a new showroom in Le Bourget (and another one at its Teterboro, New Jersey location) to assist buyers in designing their Falcons’ interiors. Last but not least, the group is negotiating with ADP Le Bourget to move its cramped Falcon spare parts center from the current off-airport location to a new spot at Le Bourget, and to increase its capacity by 2.5 times.

The main investment by Dubai-based Jetex Flight Support will be a new hangar at Le Bourget. The FBO has 215,000 sq ft (20,000 sq m) of lounges and facilities but no hangar as yet. The future construction will be on a taxiway about 1,000 feet (300 meters) from the FBO, which is adjacent to the Air and Space Museum (Musee de l’Air et de l’Espace). “We are discussing [the project] with ADP,” added Hinda Gerrouah, commercial sales and marketing manager of the Le Bourget FBO, who declined to comment further on the schedule of this project. Jetex handles an increasing number of large aircraft, amounting to 30 percent of its 9,400 yearly movements. To improve its service, Jetex will also invest in new ramp facilities to accommodate the larger aircraft, as a means to counter competition from CDG-Roissy at Charles deGaulle Airport. Also, Jetex recently improved the signage of the taxiways because some pilots complained about confusing indications. “We are looking forward to attending EBACE where we will have an announcement concerning the opening,” said Gerrouah.

Meanwhile, the new 12,900-sq-ft (1,200-sq-m) FBO opened by Landmark Aviation in June 2014 witnessed growth of 15 percent during the closing months of 2014. “I hope this trend will continue in 2015, but it’s not sure yet,” said facility manager Denis Bourgois. The Texas-based chain enjoyed around 11,000 movements at Le Bourget last year despite the decline of Middle East demand. “Growth came from North America and Europe,” added Bourgois.

Despite a slow market, Landmark has some projects in the works for its Parisian FBO this year. A new private, secure garage will be built, the frontage of the FBO is to be refurbished and offices will be renewed. Those investments will amount to as much as €1.5 million ($1.63 million), far from matching the €2.5 million ($2.72 million) invested last year.

Signature Flight Support, the worldwide chain operated by UK-based parent BBA, has a significant footprint on Le Bourget. With a total of nine hangars, it supplies 145,000 sq ft of aircraft storage. In addition, the exterior parking area directly adjacent to the terminal covers 10 acres, with an additional four acres available for jetliners up to the size of a Boeing 747. Available services include aircraft deicing.

Rampside immigration service is available 24/7, and the passenger terminal is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. (early/late hours available on request). It features a passenger/luggage security screening area and passenger lounges with shower facilities. There is also an executive bar; conference rooms with audio-visual equipment and seating for up to 30; and a private prayer room. Pilots enjoy individual snooze rooms; a work area; and a lounge with large-screen television. Even limousine drivers have their own waiting lounge and in-flight catering is available. Courtesy cars transport crew and passengers from the terminal to their aircraft on the ramp.

In late March, Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur Group (ACA), one of Europe’s largest private aviation companies, acquired the former Unijet FBO at Le Bourget from the Luxaviation Group. The location will be rebranded as Sky Valet, ACA’s ground-handling division.

“It is important for ACA’s development in business aviation to be present at the key stops, and Paris Le Bourget is Europe’s leading airport in the sector,” noted ACA chairman Dominique Thillaud. “Business aviation operators, pilots and passengers turning to Sky Valet will benefit from comprehensive handling services and a similar range of high-end services wherever we operate. At Le Bourget we now have an entirely new dedicated terminal, which makes a perfect platform for solid international growth.”

Launched at EBACE last year by ACA, Sky Valet also provides ground-handling service at Cannes Mandelieu, Golfe de Saint-Tropez and Nice Côte d’Azur airports. Combined, the company’s airport hosts saw 46,000 movements in 2014. The new Le Bourget location offers aircraft handling and parking, passenger lounges and work areas, a pilot lounge and flight-preparation area.

After having invested heavily during 2013 and 2014, Universal Aviation is moving to a “stand-by” position. “Uncertain market conditions are part of the reason for this decision, but also we invested a lot in the past,” said Sandrine Jackson, managing director of the Paris FBO. Last year, Universal fully refurbished its 1,219-sq-ft Le Bourget FBO and added 130,182 sq ft (12,000 sq m) of parking space. In 2013-2014, with 4,500 movements, the FBO has been hit with diminished traffic, especially in the large-aircraft sector, following the decision by Qatar to redirect its VIP aircraft to Roissy-CDG due to better prices and conditions.