Harrods Aviation (Booth No. 1939) is set to open its new, purpose-built FBO at London Luton Airport in December. The $12 million investment by the UK business aviation services group consists of a substantial two-floor building constructed around an existing hangar, with room for dedicated arrival and departure lounges and extra office space. The complex will feature 58,000 sq ft of hangar space and more than 210,000 sq ft of adjoining ramp space.
According to Harrods managing director Steve Grimes, the company has made a major commitment to Luton because the 24-hour airport–situated 30 miles north of central London–is a preferred gateway for business aircraft operators. The introduction of slot coordination earlier this year has not, in his view, made access harder outside the peak morning period of 7:45 a.m. to 8:45 a.m., but it has become essential for FBOs to set aside sufficient space for operators who would otherwise face being squeezed out by the low-cost airlines. The volume of traffic handled by the existing FBO has increased by 160 percent over the past three years.
More In FBOs
