Its Hawker Beechcraft Service Centre activity to move there
PremiAir announced today (8th May) that Oxford Airport will be the new home of its fixed wing maintenance operations. Work on Hawker Beechcraft business aircraft, for which PremiAir is an Authorised Service Centre, will move from PremiAir’s HQ at Blackbushe Airport, Surrey, from September this year, making Blackbushe a dedicated base for rotary wing maintenance.
Confirming the move and signing a lease agreement of a 20,000 sq ft hangar with Oxford Airport’s management, Managing Director David McRobert highlighted that PremiAir no longer had sufficient capacity to grow its maintenance any further at Blackbushe. The airport’s comparatively short runway length and lack of ILS always constrained fixed wing operations. “It was therefore logical to find a new base for our fixed wing business and thereby create much needed space for further helicopter maintenance activity. We found the ideal solution at Oxford,” he said.
“We looked long and hard at all the key business aviation airfields in the South East of England and Oxford ‘ticked just about all of our boxes,’ noted Barry Stone, PremiAir’s Director of Maintenance. “Oxford Airport has changed ownership and the significant ongoing investment in the airport’s facilities and infrastructure played a major part in our decision to go there. It’s a great central location for us as a maintenance centre with a terrific catchment area for attracting both new business, as well as the number of high quality licensed aircraft engineers we will need in order to expand our services.”
“We are delighted to welcome PremiAir and its Hawker Beechcraft Authorised Service Centre to Oxford,” said Oxford Airport Managing Director Steve Jones. “Its move here complements the factory-owned Hawker service facility which has been at Oxford for the last four years. It also means that Oxford will now cater for the entire Hawker Beechcraft stable from the Beech Bonanza to the Hawker 4000. Furthermore, the presence of PremiAir, a renowned market leader, which also manages and operates The London Heliport, really enhances Oxford’s offering for helicopter shuttles into London. Jet parking costs at Oxford are a fraction of the cost of other London airports and the savings often offset the cost of what is a mere 20minute helicopter ride into central London.”
Although the main focus at Oxford will be fixed wing maintenance, PremiAir will also be hoping to attract new executive helicopter owners who may look to them to manage their aircraft from Oxford and to generate charter revenue from PremiAir’s leading position in the UK executive helicopter charter market.
Oxford hangar to be refurbished to PremiAir’s requirements
Over the next few months Oxford Airport will be refurbishing one of its largest hangars to PremiAir’s exact specifications, creating new offices, workshops, reception areas and car parking, as well as completely refurbishing the 20,000 sq ft hangar with new electrics, lighting, heating and modern insulation. “We’re really excited about the potential the facility will offer us and ahead of any formal announcement we’ve already received welcome applications from licensed engineers, technicians and other staff looking to come and join PremiAir and be a part of an exciting growing business,” added Barry Stone.
PremiAir’s move to Oxford has been endorsed by Hawker Beechcraft. “Our relationship with the manufacturer has always been very strong and with the Beechcraft product lines all selling strongly right now, we believe there is great scope for further PremiAir growth at this new base,” said David McRobert.
“The much upgraded King Air business turboprop series has seen a major new lease of life, particularly with the significant rise in fuel prices, while the innovative Premier light jet continues to be very popular in European markets as more potential owners appreciate its speed and large cabin comfort. These new facilities will give us the opportunity to re-focus our attention on the growing Beechcraft market and we will be working very hard to fully satisfy existing and new customers alike,” he concluded.
Editor’s Notes:
• Established 25 years ago, PremiAir is the UK’s largest Executive Helicopter operating and charter company. It was purchased from the Sir Robert McAlpine Group by von Essen in 2007 and almost concurrently the Group ratified a complementary purchase of The London Heliport, which is managed and operated by PremiAir.
• PremiAir flies approximately 4,000 charter hours a year with its modern fleet of Sikorsky 76s, Eurocopter Twin Squirrels and one Bell 222. It has 18 Executive Helicopters on management programmes, providing a turnkey service to the owner – either private companies or individuals.
• PremiAir Aircraft Engineering, an FAA, EASA, CAA Part 145-approved organisation, is a Hawker Beechcraft Authorised Service Centre supporting the full range of Beechcraft products. For rotary wing support PremiAir is a Sikorsky Service Centre for the S76 (all models) and a Bell Customer Service Facility for Bell 222, 230 and 430. It is also one of the largest Eurocopter maintenance centres in Europe supporting EC155, AS365 Dauphin and AS355 Twin Squirrel. Also it provides for support services on the AgustaWestland 109 model range. PremiAir is also is a Pratt & Whitney Canada recognised maintenance facility and is a distributor for Honeywell, Rockwell Collins and numerous other equipment vendors.
• PremiAir Aircraft Engineering boasts Part 21J and G design and manufacturer approvals for aircraft modifications. With a large and experienced design office team, the company provides full refurbishment and upgrade services on most executive helicopter types and a wide range of fixed wing aircraft .
• PremiAir is a leading player in the provision of pilots to the UK Police Forces with contracts with 10 UK / Ireland Police Air Support units – both rotary and fixed wing operations.
Oxford Airport
• Just over an hour’s drive away from the west end of London, Oxford Airport represents a very convenient, unconstrained and easy access alternative to the established ‘London’ airport choices, outside of the congested London TMA (terminal movement area) airspace without any capacity or slot issues.
• Oxford Airport has started work on a brand new, first class business aviation terminal to cater for private jet crew and passengers. Scheduled for completion in July this year, the new facility will triple the space of the existing general aviation terminal, and will sport a fresh, modern design. It is the first step toward Oxford Airport offering a fully fledged executive handling operation.
• The new terminal represents the first phase of a major investment by Oxford Airport’s joint owners, the Reuben Brothers and Dawnay Day, who purchased the airport last summer from BBA Aviation. It also reflects the fact that business aviation at the airport has doubled over the past three years.
• Oxford Airport’s opening hours as a fully licensed airfield have increased from 0630hrs to 2230 hrs. Weekend access is also improved with an additional two hours’ cover each day. This improvement in opening times gives Oxford Airport a notable advantage over other business airports such as Farnborough, London City, Biggin Hill and Northolt, with the potential to accept traffic from 0600hrs to midnight through progressive improvements to the opening hours over the next two years.
