Story ID: 
New Terminal Opens at London Heliport
By: Charles Alcock
Caption: The new passenger terminal at the London Heliport officially opened on Tuesday.
Word Count: 190
The new passenger terminal at the London Heliport officially opened on Tuesday. The facility is operated and managed by PremiAir on behalf of its parent company, von Essen Group, which is due to open its new Hotel Verta at the same site in September. Located at Battersea on the south bank of the Thames River, the London Heliport remains the UK capital’s sole licensed heliport. The redeveloped site now features additional helicopter parking space, a rebuilt and upgraded ATC tower and fire/rescue facilities. The terminal building, which is adjacent to Hotel Verta, has sound-proofed passenger lounges, meeting rooms, underground car parking and a drop-off area for quick access. “The London Heliport and Hotel Verta will combine to form London’s Vertical Gateway–the first hotel-heliport solution,” said PremiAir managing director David McRobert. “Von Essen had remarkable vision and drive to purchase and develop the site, which we believe will set the standard for executive helicopter travel worldwide.” The London Heliport has received more than 45,000 movements since it opened in 1959. The facility is subject to an annual limit of 12,000 movements, not including exempt traffic such as emergency medical flights.